Mass Effect: The Calm Before The Storm
by Mozer121
Summary: Having destroyed the Collector base in the galactic core, Shepard now focuses on furthering his relationship with Tali'Zorah. Unknown to them however, an old evil lurks in the darkness, waiting to pursue its revenge.  M for violence, language, s-themes
1. Ch1: Living The Dream

Prologue

"HUMAN...YOU'VE CHANGED NOTHING..." he turns and fires two shots from his pistol at a pursuing horde of seeker swarms then turns again and trails behind the Turian and Quarian that sprint for their only hope of escape.

"YOUR SPECIES HAS THE POTENTIAL OF THOSE INFINITELY YOUR GREATER..." The insectoids give chase. A hail of lasers rang out all around them. Several hit at their feet causing them to only quicken their pace.

"THAT WHICH YOU KNOW AS REAPERS ARE YOUR SALVATION THROUGH DESTRUCTION..." The structure begins to crumble. Explosions quake their floor on which they stand. At the edge of the cliff, their savior rises from the abyss. Normandy. The airlock opens with their brittle boned pilot armed with an M-8 Assault rifle. He provides covering fire for his friends as they rush to safety. Several insectoids fall at their bodies are riddled with thermal shells. The Turian and Quarian make it inside the airlock and watch helplessly as a large pillar of debris smashes the path that lead them to their sanctuary. Their beloved Commander now has only one chance of survival. He quickens his pace and with all his might, makes a desperate leap of faith toward the airlock.

"No!"

He collides on the very edge and holds on for dear life. Just when he feels his grip slipping, his Quarian lover offers her hand like a guardian angel. She pulls him to safety and the airlock seals. Their pilot hastily makes his way to helm and punches the forward thrusters. The Normandy SR-2, the most advanced ship in the galaxy, emerges from the Collector base out into the great void.

"YOU HAVE FAILED! WE WILL FIND ANOTHER WAY!" An explosion sears the Collector general's back and causes him to slump forward against his command console. He gazes up into the holographic interface at the projection of a vessel with many limbs. "RELEASING CONTROL..."

The station is decimated in an almost awe inspiring blast. The Normandy soars through the debris of thousands of ships past as the gaining flames threaten their escape. The remains of the Collector cruiser as engulfed and explode just before the Normandy jumps in FTL. Mission Accomplished. Casualties...zero.

After cutting ties with the most fanatic of men he has ever had the pleasure of knowing, the Commander makes his way through the cargo bay of the Normandy. His Drell comrade waves to him as he passes by. He Approaches his surviving comrades who give their own nods and gestures of acknowledgment. His pilot hands him a datapad showing technical readouts and schematics of what they are to face in the near future. He nods him off and lowers the datapad to his side as he gazes out into the empty void and ponders what is yet to come. For now things are quiet, for now he and galaxy can rest easy. But the winds of chaos are picking up on the horizon...The calm before the storm...

Chapter 1: Living The Dream

It was quiet, quieter on the inside than any other ship in the galaxy. Not a single hum could

be heard from the silent, but powerful engines of the Normandy SR-2. The only thing even audible in Shepard's cabin was the shallow breathing of the young female Quarian engineer, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy.

She was ever so peaceful in her slumber after sharing a romantic night with the only man who could ever own her heart. Dreams of her valiant Commander Shepard soothed her very soul. A hint of a smile grew on her lips as she slept, dwelling only on the man who gave her so much; a new home, a family, and a love she could not even fathom.

The only light in the room came from the shining blue rays from Shepard's Fish tank. The clock sitting on the desk next to the bed began to beep; a sign that dawn had come. Tali awoke from her restful sleep. Her luminescent, silver eyes opened slowly to adapt to the ceiling lights that slowly grew brighter. Rolling onto her back, she gathered herself and let out a long, quiet yawn.

As she laid in Shepard's bed, her body, soothed by the warmth of the bed sheets, and her arms laid out across her chest, she continued to think about the time they spent last night with each other. It was their second night together since before flying off into the final battle and decimating the Collector's base of operations two weeks ago. The Normandy had undergone extensive repairs and nearly everything was back in working order.

Tali closed her eyes and grinned as she caressed the side of her face remembering how Shepard's kiss felt on her cheek. The very thought of the sensation drowned out all her worries and fears, leaving only a feeling of ecstasy.

"I want to wake up to this feeling every morning..." she whispered to herself.

Just then she heard what sounded like the humming of the elevator moving up to the cabin floor assuming her Commander was on his way up to bid her a good morning. Endorphins still rushing through her bloodstream, she decided she would take a chance and do something rather daring for him. She quickly hopped out of bed with the bed sheets still wrapped around her body, and rushed in front of the cabin door.

At first she had her doubts, "This isn't very becoming of me...maybe I shouldn't" she thought to herself. But she loved how much Shepard admired her beauty, even for a man that has never seen any other Quarian women outside of their suit, her being the exception.

She giggled and said to herself in a seductive tone, "Back for more Shepard?" She then heard the door seals begin to unlock and dropped the sheets to her feet revealing herself to be completely naked. As soon as the door began to open a Turian clad in blue armor walked in uttering, "Shepard I need you to-" his words stopped dead in their tracks as his jaw dropped and his mind went blank at the sight of the nude Quarian in front of him.

Tali quickly dropped to the floor to grab the bed sheets using them to cover her exposed form. She then screamed at the top of her lungs. "GET OUT! KEELA- GET OUT NOW!" she yelled. Garrus spun around as fast as he could with one hand over his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry! I swear I-I didn't see anything!" he stuttered.

"Garrus! You Bost'tet! I said get out of here!" Garrus ran to the door as fast as he could, keeping his gaze on his feet. Not realizing the door was shut, he ran straight into it sending him staggering backwards a few steps. The door's motion sensor then detected his movement and opened. He then moved outside the door of the cabin and stood still, completely frozen from the shock of what he had just seen with his right hand still covering his eyes.

Suddenly the elevator doors in front of him opened with Shepard stepping out holding a tray in one hand with a packet of nutrient paste sitting on it. Shepard was surprised to find Garrus standing in front of him completely motionless. Garrus slightly shacking in his armor tried to hide his shock.

"Sh-Shepard...uh...morning..." Garrus said.

"Morning Garrus" Shepard replied with a puzzled look on this face.

"So...how was breakfast?" Garrus said still trying his best to forget what just happened only seconds ago.

"Good, yours? Shepard replied not understanding why Garrus appeared so stiff.

"Good... it was...good..." Garrus replied back. They both stood still staring at each other for a few seconds before Shepard broke the silence.

"Are you feeling alright Garrus? You look a little pale, even for a Turian. Is something Wrong?" Shepard said tilting his head slightly to the left and raising his right brow.

"This whole situation is just wrong..." Garrus mumbled under his breath in a way that was almost not even audible.

"Say what?" Shepard said narrowing his eyes at Garrus.

"Nothing..." Garrus almost instantly replied.

They went back to their awkward silence for a few seconds before Garrus finally spoke up. "Well ok then...I'm gonna go get breakfast." He said quickly stepping into the elevator.

"I thought you just ate?" Shepard said turning around to see Garrus tap the elevator controls.

"I'm still hungry!" Garrus replied again immediately as the elevators doors shut in front of him and he made his way to the crew deck.

Garrus turned around to face the back of the elevator then stepped forward and bumped his head against the wall while still staring down at his feet. His thoughts began to drift back to the unbelievable sight he saw in Shepard's cabin. He quickly shook this off and mumbled to himself. "You better forget about what you saw in there or I swear Garrus I will castrate you with a rusty knife." He let out a long, loud sigh then finally said "remember to knock next time dumb-ass..."

Shepard stared at the elevator doors for a minute and listened to the sound of the platform descending as he stood there in his confusion. What's up with him today? He thought to himself. Shrugging off the feeling, he gazed at the tray in his hands remembering his intentions to bring Tali breakfast. He smiled at the thought then walked up to the door as the motion sensors acknowledged his movement and the seals disengaged. Before the hatch was completely open he heard Tali yell.

"You perverted Bosh'tet! I said get out Ga-" with her jaw still wide open, Tali's eyes widened at the sight of Shepard. "Oh...Shepard...I-I thought you were..." she paused for a moment standing over at the foot of Shepard's bed only half dressed into her enviro-suit before continuing. "Keelah, never mind." Shepard wanted to ask her what had her so upset but was slightly dumbstruck at the sight of Tali who was still nude above the waist.

"Don't get dressed to quickly Ms. Vas Normandy." Shepard said with a smirk on his lips. Tali gasped, jumping slightly as she remembered Garrus' unexpected intrusion which did well to bring her out of her lustful haze. She quickly pulled up the bottom of her suit and sealed it with the top half.

"Shepard! Um, I didn't hear you—I mean, good morning!" she said stammering. Shepard chuckled; his eyes full of desire for his beautiful Quarian lover as he watched her fasten her suit straps and place the helmet over her head. Shepard loved how her eyes shone through the purple tint of her visor. Even though they were concealed behind the mask, when he looked into those eyes of hers, he could easily picture the face he had come to love so much. Tali returned the loving gaze.

_He is the only one that could possibly see past this dreadful contraption_... she thought as they continued to admire the passion in each other's eyes.

Shepard motioned for Tali to sit and then joined her at the edge of the bed. "Thought I'd bring you a little breakfast in bed" he said as he handed her the tray. Tali stared down at the packet of paste with a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. She wished she could eat normal food like everyone else.

"I got some of the good stuff the last time we visited the Citadel, should be much better than what you're used to." Tali dismissed the thought upon hearing Shepard's reassurance and connected the packet to her face mask. "Good stuff" was an understatement; Tali was absolutely delighted when she took her first mouthful of the delicious paste. She swallowed and savored the tingling sensation as the paste slid down her throat.

"Thank you Shepard, I'm not accustomed to waking up to this, but I think I can definitely get used to it" Shepard leaned in close with one arm around her neck as he pulled her in close and rubbed his nose against her visor.

"Only the best for you Tali" he said once again staring into her eyes. Shepard began to think back to the night before. He was concerned that she might become ill again as she did on their first night together before the supposed "Suicide mission."

"How are you feeling this morning? Better than last time?" he said as he gently put his hand on the side of her helmet.

"Better actually, a mild fever but no unpleasant symptoms so far." Tali began to rub her hands together like she always does when she is overcome with anxiety. "...I'm sorry if I'm making you feel guilty...but

I-I promise that the side-effects of...you know, will eventually no longer affect me."

"Well then, I guess when your fever clears up maybe we should continue to work on that?" Shepard said with a chuckle.

Tali moved in close and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'd like that commander."

Shepard replied by kissing her visor then smiled and said. "Please...Shepard to you Ms. Zorah."

...

"HE HAS KILLED OUR KIN...COERCED OUR PAWNS...DEFEATED OUR SLAVES! NEVER HAVE WE FACED SUCH RESISTENCE..."

"HE IS NOT THE FIRST...AND WILL NOT BE THE LAST...MANY MILLENNIA HAVE PASSED AND THE CYCLE ALWAYS PROCEEDS AS PLANNED..."

"WE CAN NOT ALLOW THEM ANY MORE LEVERAGE! IT IS TIME THEY FEEL THE FULL FORCE OF OUR MIGHT..."

"PATIENTS...THEY WILL KNOW TRUE POWER...OUR EMMISSARY'S FAILURE WAS...UNEXPECTED...WE CAN NO LONGER RELY ON THE CITADEL...WE MUST EXECUTE AN ALTERNATIVE ACTION..."

Millions of lights illuminate the once pitch black region of space as the entire race of ancient sentient machines begin their long journey to the boundaries of the Milky way galaxy; malevolent intent to harvest all life to extinction their only motive.

"ARISE MY KIN...THE DAWN OF THE OUR NEXT HARVEST IS AT HAND..."


	2. Ch2: Blood Lust

"_Too long now..." _Grunt was pacing back and forth in his room on deck 4. "_I crave the tender feeling of torn flesh...the sting of a fresh wound...the pleasure of pulling a trigger..." _Grunt walked slowly to the window overlooking the cargo bay and stared out the reflective glass. Clenching his fist he cocked his arm back; "Raaahh!" He roared as his drove his fist straight through the glass.

"_Just one battle, any battle. I must be satisfied."_

...

"I'm sure you have more important things to do than see me off to work Shepard." Shepard and Tali stood side by side in the elevator as it descended to the Engineering deck. Shepard wrapped his arm around her waist. "Nonsense, a good day doesn't start unless it starts with you" he said while smiling.

The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open. Grunt walked by heading back to his room and aggressively bumped his shoulder into Shepard. "Grunt?" Before he could speak to the Krogan he was already through the hatch and it shut behind him.

Shepard paused "_What the...?"_

Tali folded her arms and turned to Shepard. "If he wasn't a tank bred I would say his mother should have taught him some manners."

"I doubt there's anything Krogan mothers teach their young except how to rip the limbs off of small animals."

Tali giggled and nodded in agreement.Shepard continued to walk with her into the engine room.

When they entered Ken and Gabby both turned around. "Commander" Ken said as he and his companion saluted their captain. Shepard was about to say something before Tali interrupted with a chuckle.

"At ease" She said.

Shepard turned his head to greet her eyes and while continuing over to Tali's station, said with a smile "I don't remember dying and leaving you in charge."

When she heard these words Tali had a instant flash back, remembering the lonely two years she spent without the man she loved so much. Shepard watched as she slowly lowered her head and stepped over to her console without saying a word. He came to a realization that what he had just said upset her deeply.

"Oh...sorry I..." he said before Tali replied.

"No it's...it's alright...I really should learn to move on from it...i-it's just that it feels like it was just yesterday that you came back into my life a-and ever since I can't seem to shake this feeling that I... I might lose you aga-" Shepard interrupted her rambling by placing his hand on the back of her helmet.

"Hey...nothing in this galaxy-this universe will take me away from you ever again...not the Reapers, not even the gods themselves."

Tali lifted her head. "I believe you Shepard, but I can't seem to quell this feeling in my heart."

"That's why I'm here, to heal you as well as to love you." Shepard leaned in close and embraced her.

"I love you Shepard." Tali said tightening her hold around Shepard.

"I love you too Tali'Zorah, with every ounce of my body and soul."

Ken and Gabby both peaked over noticing the couple holding each other affectionately and both gave a small grin. Before returning to their duties, Gabby slowly placed her hand on top of Ken's and smiled. Ken's eyes widened; filled with surprise at Gabby's gesture then quickly turned his head towards the couple then back to Gabby as a smile grew on his face.

Shepard released Tali from his embrace and began strode toward the exit. "Have fun."

Tali smiled behind her mask. "I always have fun around engines Shepard."

On his way to the elevator he head a loud thud and what sounded like someone cursing. As the hatch opened he noticed Jack face down on the floor picking herself up and yelling.

"That fucking overgrown turtle!" she cursed.

She looked up to notice Shepard with a blank stare. As she did Shepard noticed her busted lip.

"The hell you looking at?" she retorted.

"I take it you were in fight?" he asked.

"A fight? That bastard Krogan slugged me for no reason then took off in the elevator!"

"I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to get under your skin for no reason." he said crossing his arms.

"Doesn't matter what you think, he gave me the one reason I need to make a hole in the ship!"

Shepard raised his hand to motion for her to calm down. "I'll take care of it. I don't need my ship becoming ground zero for the 2nd Krogan Rebellion war."

"You better, or else that son of a bitch-" Shepard stepped into the elevator and the doors closed before he could hear her finish her sentence.

Shepard sighed. "_Yeah...turning out to be a good already_..."

Before selecting his destination, Shepard called EDI to attention. "EDI."

"Yes Shepard" The AI chimed in upon hearing it's name.

"Where is Grunt right now?" he asked.

"Grunt is currently on deck 3." she replied.

"Thanks."

With that, EDI flickered out and Shepard selected deck 3 for his destination.

"_This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I told him to make some friends..." _he thought.

As soon as the elevator started to ascend EDI's holographic projection appeared once again in front of Shepard. "Alert, there is a disturbance in the mess hall."

Shepard raised a brow. "What?"

Shepard quickly stepped out of the elevator and could hear glass shattering and the loud thudding of metal. "What the hell?" Crewman Hawthorne stormed down the hall and took shelter in the crew quarters. Shepard rounded the corner only to collide with Miranda who seemed to fly through the air crashing into him. Shepard and her winced and groaned in pain. "Miranda?"

"Commander that pet of yours is on a rampage!" she retorted angrily.

"What?"

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear the first time." Miranda lifted herself up and offered a hand to Shepard helping him to his feet.

"Get in there and put a leash on him before I put him down!" Shepard peaked around Miranda to see Grunt with Mess Sergeant Gardner being held by the neck in his left hand.

"Grunt! Stand down! That's an order!" He exclaimed. Grunt turned to Shepard clenching his teeth and growling like a wild beast. "Your Battle-master just gave you a command!" Shepard yelled. Grunt slowly turned his head back to Gardner then released his grip. He fell on the floor using his hands to break his fall and gasped for air. Shepard helped Gardner to his feet then turned to Grunt. "You, me, talk, now!" With that Shepard motioned for Grunt to follow, passing Miranda who was helping the rest of the crew clean up the mess. They stopped just outside of Starboard observation. "The hell is wrong with you! We talked about this, we took care of your problem back on Tuchanka!"

"Problem! You call this a problem? This is who I am, I will always be compelled to fight!" Grunt bellowed.

"I won't have you putting the crew's lives in danger! I'd rather not drop you off on the nearest uninhabited rock, but if that's what it takes..." Grunt looked away in contempt.

"Two weeks battle-master...two miserable weeks since I've stepped in the blood of an enemy! I grow restless, hungry..."

"We aren't going to be slaughtering enemies forever, I told you that before. I need to know that I can trust you to stay under control, you've already reached the thresh-hold of that trust." Grunt looked back at Shepard with pure rage in his eyes.

"Find me blood to spill..." Grunt moved his face closer to Shepard narrowing his eyes. "Or I will be glad to make some new enemies..." Grunt turned away and headed for the elevator. As soon as he boarded, the door behind Shepard opened and Samara stepped out. Shepard turned to face her.

"Shepard...only conflict will quench his thirst." She said in her usual soulless voice.

"You heard all that?"

"There are little words that miss my ears on this ship" she replied.

"You have a recommendation?

"Yes...a duel."

"Excuse me?"

"Challenge him to single combat commander. You are his battle-master, he sees you as his superior, the only one that can defeat him on the battlefield."

"Knowing him he'd probably want to fight to the death. Not sure that's the best option."

"I only suggested it. The choice is yours to make." Samara took a few steps back and the starboard observation doors closed in front of her.

Shepard rubbed his forehead."_Ironic...seemed like things were quieter before we took out the Collectors." _Shepard then called Joker over the comm link. "Joker, set a course for Tuchanka."

"Tuchanka? What for? He asked.

"Personal business." Shepard replied.

"Sure you can't take your personal business somewhere with a-"

"Joker...just set the damn course please..."

"Fine, fine...grouch... ETA to Tuchanka, 14 hours."


	3. Ch3: Unofficial Business

Garrus was in the middle of his daily calibrations of the ship's weapon systems when Joker spoke over the ship's loudspeaker. "Attention, all critical personnel report to the CIC."

"Awww crap..." Garrus was incredibly anxious, worried that Tali may have spoken to Shepard about their little "encounter." What could he possibly say to Shepard to keep him from freaking out? He leaned over the console, lowered his head and sighed. "_Just play it cool..."_ With that he regained his composure and left the main battery. When he took his first step down the steps into the mess hall he halted and his eyes scanned the room, noticing the many bits of shattered plates, broken glass, and chairs that had been flung around the room. Though surprised by the scene, he still managed to make a joke out of it.

"Why wasn't I invited to this party?" He said. Gardener looked in Garrus' direction upon hearing him speak.

"I'll remember to send you an invitation the next time I'm not being choked by a pissed off Krogan." replied Gardner.

"He didn't like your food either huh?" Garrus commented. The mess sergeant rolled his eyes and shot Garrus an annoyed expression.

"You should get up to the CIC Garrus. I wouldn't wanna be on the commander's bad side." Garrus looked down and shook his head.

"_Might be a little late for that..."_ He thought.

He continued his brisk walk over to the elevator and called it to the crew deck. A few seconds passed and when the hatch opened Garrus nearly jumped out of his armor at what he saw. "T-Tali..." The Quarian mechanic narrowed her eyes and folded her arms.

"Garrus, on your way to the CIC too I suppose?" she said with a evil intent in her tone.

"Y-yeah, but if it's all good with you I think I'll catch the next one." Garrus replied.

Tali pointed to the floor of the elevator beside her. "Oh no...I insist." She said with great malevolence.

"No really I think I'm go-" Tali drew her shotgun and pointed it at Garrus.

"I INCIST." The Turian threw his hands up defensively and gulped as he slowly stepped into the elevator standing beside her. Tali kept her gaze forward at the hatch as Garrus proceeded to do the same. There was a long pause as neither of them dared to look at each other. Garrus could feel the tension as he was carefully taking his time to reach over and push the elevator controls for deck 2.

"_This is so awkward..."_ he thought.

The hatched sealed in front of them and they continued to stand in silence. The Turian did not dare move a muscle, though occasionally directed his eyes in the young engineer's direction. Sweat continued to form around his forehead. The anxiety was overwhelming. His mandibles twitched constantly.

He turned to Tali to say something but before the words could escape his mouth the Quarian lunged at him pinning his back to the wall and held a knife to his throat. "If a single word of what you saw this morning makes it to Shepard, I promise you I will make sure your odds of conceiving are less than a Krogan!" The Turian could swear her eyes turned crimson behind her visor as she hissed the words to his face. "Clear?"

Garrus made a loud gulp and replied "Crystal."

A soft ding was heard confirming that they had reached deck 2 and Tali released her grip on the Turian as fast as she had pinned him and regained her normal stance. The hatch unsealed and the Quarian casually walked out and turned the corner to make her way to the briefing room. Garrus was still in a slight state of shock and seemed to be glued to the wall where she had threatened him.

"_I am so screwed..."_

...

Meanwhile in the CIC, the team had assembled at Shepard's request. All but Grunt and a certain Turian. Tali happily walked over to Shepard and took her place by his side as he briefed the team. He wanted to make his speech as quick as possible, wanting to avoid any comments that may be said in an attempt to make him change his mind. When Shepard made a decision, he stuck to it till the end. His will was in every since of the word...unbending.

Shepard leaned over the table using to hands to support his weight. "Glad you're all here. Now to business. As you've all probably noticed, our Krogan comrade has been a little on edge lately..." He was trying his best to not make the situation sound worse than it was.

"You can say that again..." Jack said rolling her eyes and rubbing her swelled lip. Shepard paused and shut his eyes for a few seconds. Hard to have a nice day with Grunt's fit and Jack's constant negativity.

Shepard cleared his throat and continued. "I had Joker lay in a course for Tuchanka, where I will participate in a duel with Grunt."

The entire room fell silent and Tali gasped as she turned to Shepard. He returned the gaze to her then back at the rest of the team and spoke. "Now this isn't exactly official business, but it needs to be done. We'll be passing Illium on our way there and I've booked rooms for all of you plus any non-critical personnel desiring R&R. If you want to, we can drop you off while I get this matter settled and come back to pick you up once we're finished." He didn't expect his crew to follow him on this one, after all, even to Shepard it felt like a waste of time.

"Pffft. You're not the only one that wants a shot at lizard head's ass, I'm stayi-" Jack started.

"You on the other hand don't have a choice in the matter Jack." Shepard retorted.

"Fuck... tch, whatever..." Jack stomped her way out of the briefing room in a fit of anger, not bothering to wait until the commander had finished.

"All who want shore leave, speak to Yeoman Chambers and she'll register you as on-leave. Dismissed." Shepard finished.

The team dispersed, all but Tali who had stayed at her love's side. "Shepard do you even know what you're getting yourself into?" It bothered him even more that he was making Tali fear for his life, even though he was fully confident that he could win. He wasn't expecting the worst from this whole ordeal.

"Barely, but I think I'm the only one strong enough to give him the battle he wants." Shepard said as he brought her hands together in his.

"You know he will not stop until one of you is dead Shepard!" Tali had hoped that after destroying the Collector base she wouldn't have to worry for his life anymore. At least, not until the Reapers showed up.

"I know, but it's either this, or let him run wild all over the ship." he replied softly.

"Shepard you can't do this, you promised me nothing would happen to you!" she exclaimed.

"And I keep my promises. Trust me, I don't plan on dying again..." He said making an attempt to embrace her before she backed away.

Tali directed her gaze away from Shepard, pulled her hands away from him and stormed out of the room. "Tali wait!" Shepard ran in to the hallway to try to catch her but was stopped by Miranda.

"I guess Tali didn't take it too well." she said.

"I don't expect anyone too." Shepard replied with anger growing in his tone.

"Shepard I must protest against this, a duel with Grunt is foolish. One or both of you won't be coming out alive in this. I'd recommend simply leaving him on some uncharted world." Miranda suggested.

Shepard raised his arm pointing at Miranda. "Grunt is still part of my crew. I would never abandon him, or any of you for that matter."

"But you'd rather kill him and possibly yourself in some feeble match just for his pleasure?" She retorted.

"I didn't say I was gonna kill him, I'm hoping it won't come to that." He replied. Miranda paused and turned around to leave the hall when she stopped and spoke while keeping her back facing him.

"I hope you know what you're doing Shepard." Miranda then continued her pace and exited the hallway to the armory.

Shepard's next thought was to catch up with Tali and try to apologize for the mess he would soon be in, but decided against it. She needed time to wrap her head-err helmet around this.

"_I won't leave you Tali, not even in the next life..."_


	4. Ch4: New Objective

The Normandy had just left Illium after dropping off those of the crew who desired to remain there for R&R until the dilemma with Grunt was solved. Among those who desired to stay were Mordin, Garrus, Legion, and of course, Tali'Zorah. Grunt had remained on board as well but had locked himself in his room for the time being. Shepard had been in his cabin the entire time after briefing them about Grunt's problem.

He leaned against the wall and looked towards the ceiling, deep in thought. Grunt had been a valuable crew member. He helped them do the impossible at the Collector base and save the galaxy. "I guess I should have known this day was coming..." The Spectre re-directed his gaze to the hatch and decided to go talk to Joker for an update on their ETA to Tuchanka.

Exiting the elevator onto the CIC, Shepard felt the ship lurch forward; they had just made the jump to the Krogan DMZ. He then made his way to the cockpit but his trip was short lived as a someone behind him poked him in the shoulder. He turned around to notice Kelly with her hands laced together and her gaze directed at his eyes as if having something important to say.

"Yes Chambers?" The Spectre said with a slight hint of confusion in his expression.

"Commander, we're receiving a transmission from the Illusive man, apparently he wishes to speak with you about something of importance." The Spectre's expression became full of surprise. It's been over two weeks since he last spoke to the mysterious Cerberus leader and he wondered why the Illusive man had waited so long before finally contacting him again.

"Thank you Yeoman, I'll check it out." he said.

"Of course Shepard." The Yeoman replied as she gave a slight bow and returned to her station. Anger began to grow in the commander's eyes. His opinion of the Illusive man was very low, even lower after he suggested they utilize the Collector base for use against the Reapers. But Shepard refused. Even when faced with the opportunity to use the Reapers technology against them, he remembered what Sovereign had once told him "Your civilization is based on the technology of the Mass relays, our technology. By using it your society develops along the paths we desire." He knew that using the base was what the Reapers wanted and he wasn't going to fall into any of their traps anymore.

"Joker open a channel to the Illusive man." Shepard said as he entered the briefing room.

"Roger that commander." Joker replied over the intercom. The table collapsed into the floor and the orange sensor grid activated and produced the Spectre's image in real-time to the Cerberus leader.

"Shepard, it's been a while since we last spoke." The dark figure said then took a drag from his cigarette.

"Not long enough..." Shepard replied, not bothering to show an ounce of civility.

"Indeed..." he took another drag from his cigarette. "I haven't exactly forgiven you for disobeying my orders to preserve the Collector base-"

Shepard interrupted, " Your orders? You make it sound like I was actually working for you." He said in a sarcastic and annoyed tone.

"Your sarcasm is transparent Shepard, however I didn't contact you to socialize." He said putting out his cigarette in the ash tray next to his chair.

"I figured as much." Shepard replied.

"I have a job for you. Simple, but of great importance." Before he could continue the Spectre spoke up again.

"I'm not your errand boy anymore! Whatever it is I want nothing to do with it. Besides I have business of my at the moment."

"Of course... EDI's logs tell me you're on your way to Tuchanka. The task I'm entrusting you with is right in your path." Shepard gained a little interest and decided to let him continue.

"A state-of-the-art research vessel of ours, the Bermuda, was running tests on a newly discovered form of energy, we have no name for it, but it could be used to develop new and powerful weapons to be used in our coming battle against the Reapers. However, recently we lost contact with the vessel. We've sent scout ships to discover the cause of the anomaly, but none of them have reported back. I'd like you to find the Bermuda, discover the fate of the crew, and retrieve the experimental power source." The Illusive man lifted his lighter and lit another cigarette, taking a drag from it.

"I remember a similar instance involving a certain Collector ship. How do I know you're not sending us into another trap?" Shepard said with suspicion present in his voice.

"When the subject of "Reapers" is brought to question, I don't lie. That power source is critical in our war effort. I've already sent the last known coordinates of the Bermuda to EDI. Its last transmission  
showed it to be in orbit around the gas giant Ruam in the Aralakh system."

Shepard wanted to tell the man to go hell, but this was about the Reapers after all. And they needed anything they could get their hands on that would give them an advantage. "If we have time we'll check it out." Shepard said with a nod.

The Illusive man took one last drag, "See that you do..." With that, the transmission ended and Shepard made his way once again to the cockpit to tell Joker of their new destination.

"Perfect time you picked to give your team shore leave..." he said to himself.

Joker was taping away at the controls and quietly bickering to EDI when Shepard arrived in the cockpit. He smiled and shook his head at the site. "_Some things just never change._" he thought.

"Commander, we'll soon be in the Krogan DMZ. ETA 5 hours." Joker said looking over his shoulder.

"Good, that gives us time to plot and discuss our new destination." Shepard replied.

"Tell me it's somewhere with better drinks than the crap we have on this ship. I could use a good hammering." Joker commented.

Shepard chuckled, "Sorry to disappoint you Joker, but were going on a scavenger hunt for the Illusive man. He wants us to check out a Cerberus research vessel. Apparently they lost contact with it a few  
days ago and there's supposed to be something important on-board he wants us to recover. EDI should have the coordinates."

EDI then chimed in, "Affirmative Commander."

"What about the rest of the crew?" Joker inquired.

"It's been a while since any of them got any rest. Besides I'm sure we can handle it."

"Great, first we go easter egg hunting then we get to watch you get snuffed out on Tuchanka." Joker said as he rolled his eyes with clear sarcasm in his tone.

Shepard raised a brow and crossed his arms. "Thanks Joker, would have thought you had more faith in me."

A smirk grew on Joker's face. "That's what you get for not giving the cripple shore leave."

Shepard laughed. "We all know the only reason this ship is in one piece is because you're at the helm Joker"

"Damn straight! remember that next time I pull your ass outta the fire." Joker said sarcastically.

"Duly noted." Before Shepard could turn to leave he felt a hand on his upper arm.

"Shepard, need to talk. Important. Made progress analyzing Prothean Relic recovered on Kopis." In a previous mission Shepard had taken the M-44 Hammerhead assault vehicle to investigate a dig site on the planet Kopis in the Hades Nexus and had discovered an old Prothean relic. He had given it to Mordin to find out exactly what it was. He began to follow Mordin back to the lab. Upon entering the Relic was floating on top of Mordin's desk and humming a strange sound. Shepard walked up to it, his eyes full of curiosity. When he reached up to touch it it pulsed and moved a couple of inches back from his finger.

"Do not touch! Still do not fully understand purpose of device!" Mordin snapped.

"So what kind of progress did you make?" Shepard said backing away from the floating orb that was the relic.

"Observe..." Mordin took some raw element zero in his hand and held it close to the orb. The relic reacted by growing half a size larger and then the particles of element zero seemed to be sucked into it. Shepard grew an expression of shock.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"Yes, intriguing isn't it? Device able to absorb energy from materials in close proximity." Mordin inhaled deeply then finished, "Astounding..."

"That is interesting. Any way we could benefit from this?" Shepard asked. Mordin walked behind his desk and activated his console.

"No, must continue analysis. Purpose still unclear, but may have weapon applications."

"Alright Mordin, let me know if you find out anything more." Shepard was about to leave when something struck his thoughts.

"Hey before I go I don't suppose you have any more antibiotics laying around do you?" Mordin knew exactly what he was refering to.

"Yes Shepard. Haven't forgotten about Tali'Zorah. Synthesized more doses this morning." Mordin leaned over his desk to hand Shepard several tubes containing the liquid antibiotics.

"Thanks Mordin." Shepard decided it was time to get some rest before the mission and headed back to his cabin for the night.

...

When he entered he could hear mumbling from around the corner. He quietly tip-toed his way over to see Tali sitting on his couch with her arms folded and legs crossed. She instantly noticed him and gave him a despicable glare.

"You still mad?" He asked her.

"Mad?" She got up and walked over to the edge of his bed. "I'm not mad Shepard... I'm worried. This is a bad idea, Keelah, this whole thing is a bad idea..." Shepard kept silent trying to think of a way to  
comfort her about the whole situation. It seemed like no matter how many times he saved the galaxy there was always a life threatening matter at hand. He knew Tali was strong when times called for it, but it didn't make him feel any better that he was putting his life at risk and putting a burden on her shoulders.

He walked closer to her and dropped his authoritative stance. "I wish I didn't have to do this, but it's the only way. I'm sorry." He said softly. Tali stayed silent with her back turned to him.

"Putting you through these things isn't one of my favorite hobbies." He said. She still didn't reply.

Shepard moved in closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do you remember Virmire? Wrex threatened the entire mission. All of you were just waiting for him to turn on us. Ash was ready kill him right then and there, but I changed him. I gave him a chance and he followed me to the end. Even though he may have missed his chance for a cure for the Genophage." Tali dropped her arms to her sides and turned to Shepard. He wrapped both his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I don't give up on my crew, and I haven't given up on him either." Tali returned the affection by wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. They remained in each others arms for a few moments before breaking away. Shepard stared into her bright, shining eyes and brought one hand to the side of her helmet. "If you want to join the rest of the crew on shore leave we cam turn back. I'll understand." He said softly. She became lost in his sapphire blue eyes and slowly brought one hand to his chin.

"I'm not going anywhere Shepard." Shepard grew a genuine smile and placed a small kiss on her visor. He then lifted one hand to show her the tubes of antibiotics he received from Mordin and gave her a wink. She quickly snatched one of the glass tubes from his hand and walked over to his desk, injecting herself with the antibiotic. She walked back over to Shepard swinging her hips sensually and guided his hands up to the seals on her helmet.

A light clicking sound was heard followed by a light hiss and Shepard removed her visor to reveal the divine beauty of the face behind it. Looking into her uncovered eyes always left him awestruck. Seeming hypnotized by the gaze of her glowing silver eyes, he couldn't find the words to describe the love he had for her. Tali gave him a small nudge on the shoulder.

"Just making sure you're still here Shepard." She said with a giggle. Shepard sprung into action and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Their love for one another seemed to cause all that was around them to fade away. It was as if a world created for just the two of them had been born.

Tali spun him around causing him to fall backwards onto the bed with herself on top of him, barely realizing where they were until Shepard broke the kiss.

"I'll always be here for you Ms. Zorah."

Tali touched his lip with her finger and spoke before they continued to embrace each other. "You're a Bosh'tet, but a sweet Bosh'tet, and that's why I love you..." 


	5. Ch5: Eye Of The Hurricane

The sun was rising in the sky of Illium, emiting blinding beams of light into the room of a certain bounty hunter trying to catch some "beauty sleep," as he would call it.

While lying on his back with his eyes still closed, Zaeed heard a knock on the window of his room across from his bed. He reacted by turning on his side opposite the direction of the window and ignored the racket. Again, the knocking continued and he began to toss and turn furiously while burying his face in the pillows. A third time, that infernal knocking again. The gruff Zaeed Massani, like a mad man, reached under his pillow for his Predator heavy pistol and fired a single slug at the window, shattering it.

Zaeed glared at the sight with rage in his eyes when the hotel's VI spoke up. "Weapons are not permitted on the premises."

"So sue me!" he said in his rough British accent, laying the pistol on the desk next to his bed. Before he could roll over back to sleep, a hooded figure appeared at his window.

"And I thought I was cranky in the morning..."He shot up out of bed to see Kasumi sitting in the window.

"Sister, you ever heard of this nifty little thing called a door?" he said groaning and rubbing his still sleepy eyes.

"Doors are for rich people. Besides, enough heists have taught me that windows are much safer." she replied."

"Damn youngsters now days. Well what do you want?" he said still agitated and wanting and go back to sleep. Kasumi reached behind her back and threw him a small metal box.

"I picked those off some guy that could obviously afford a thousand more of them while I was out working last night."

He proceeded to open the container and was pleasantly surprised at the sight of a dozen cigars. "I'll be damned." he said with a glimmer in his eye. "Krogan made cigars imported straight from Tuchanka. You can't even find these on the black market."

"I thought you'd like them." she replied smiling. The enigmatic thief seemed to love giving as much as she did stealing. Zaeed picked up his still smoking pistol and held the tip of the barrel up to the end of the cigar. He slowly inhaled the fumes while tilting his head back to savor the flavor then exhaled releasing a cloud of smoke.

"Damn that's good stuff" he commented as he lowered the cigar.

Kasumi chuckled. "Don't over do it. That stuff will kill you."

Zaeed turned back to Kasumi. "I don't normally smoke, but this stuff is worth dying for." he said as he took another drag.

...

Samara had awoken early to meditate out on the balcony of the hotel while watching the sunrise. Thane had been leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. Deciding to make conversation, he stealthily strode over to the balcony. It wasn't stealthy enough though, because Samara sensed his presence before he was even in arms reach.

"Thane... I trust your slumber was productive?" Thane sensed the sincerity in her voice. It was almost shocking being that she always seemed as emotionless as Legion.

"Yes... Very peaceful." he replied with a smirk as he gazed at the rising sun on the horizon. Moments of silence passed as she examined his body language.

"I sense you are troubled..." she said.

Thane dropped his head."Yes..."

"About Shepard and Grunt I assume?"

"Do you not share my doubt?"

"I do." she said as she rose to her feet.

Thane turned to face her. "You do not seem bothered as I am."

"I have seen the Krogan's eyes. He is not without remorse as he would seem. He is merely confused, he would rather allow his blood rage to make decisions for him than use the freewill we are all gifted with." she explained.

"And you believe Shepard can make him see?" Thane said, shifting his gaze back on the horizon.

Samara nodded. "He has overcome challenges much more difficult."

"I pray you are correct, I do not wish my life to extend beyond Shepard's..." Thane turned to Samara and gave a bow before taking his leave. "_Amonkira, lord of hunters, grant him protection..."_

...

Shepard and Tali had fallen asleep in each others arms. Her head restws on his shoulder with her hand gently placed on his chest and her left leg folded over his right. It was truly a match made in heaven. The two had dosed off after their intimate night together only hours earlier. Tali lay under the sheets with all but her helmet on and her hooded pulled back.

The Specter was awoken by yet another lurch as the ship's engines decelerated. He slowly lifted his eye lids but shut them quickly as a blinding light burned into his retinas. Using his arm to shield his face, he let his eyes adjust to the light before realizing what was emanating the flash of light. His blurred vision came into focus to see a tall metallic figure standing perfectly straight at the foot of the bed.

"L...Legion?" He groaned in his depleted state.

"Shepard-Commander." it responded. Tali's rest was disturbed by the voice of the lone Geth that didn't even seem conscious of the volume of its voice. She rolled on her back and stretched while giving a brief yawn.

"...Legion?"

"Creator-Tali'Zorah." it responded again. An awkward silence filled the room as the synthetic stood motionless and Tali repeated to shift her gaze back and forth from Shepard to Legion. Shepard said the first thing that came to mind.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"One hour twenty-eight minutes and three seconds." Shepard proceeded to softly scratch his eyes.

"And why exactly where you watching us sleep?"

Legion tilted its head and after a moment responded. "Geth do not understand the motives of organic pairing. You are human, creator-Tali'Zorah is quarian. Your hormones compel you to be attracted to your own species, yet you engage in partnership with each other. This concept is difficult for us to comprehend. We wish to learn." The human and quarian lay speechless trying to decide what to say.

"That's incredibly creepy..." Shepard said looking away from the Geth platform.

"You mean you...don't understand love?" Tali said with a hint of innocence and an open hand.

"Love, making love, the process in which two or more individuals engage in sexual intercourse by-" its speech was quickly cut short.

"Just forget that I asked..." Tali interrupted with both palms over her visor.

"Anyway, what's our ETA?" Shepard said.

"We have arrived in the Aralakh system of the Krogan DMZ. Moreau-Lieutenant is awaiting orders." Shepard threw his feet over the edge of the bed and stood up.

"Good. We got a ship to check out."

"Ship? What ship?" Tali responded in confusion as she placed her helmet over her head and attached the visor.

"I'll explain on the way. Come on" The Spectre replied.

"Can't we just rest for 10 more minutes?" Tali said as she threw herself over Shepard's side of the bed.

"You really wanna sleep longer with Legion watching?" he asked knowing what her answer would be. Legion's face plates pulsed a couple of times at the comment.

"Good point..." she said slowly placing her feet on the cold floor. Shepard and Legion made their way to the door and Tali fallowed suite.

"Garrus, Mordin, meet us in the cockpit." he said over the intercom.

...

"We'll be at Bermuda's last known coordinates in 10 minutes, commander. Might wanna saddle up." said Joker.

Shepard turned to his companions. "All right, I know this is on short notice, but the Illusive man wants us to check out a Cerberus research vessel that went radio silent a few days ago. They sent scout ships to discover what happened, but they've gone silent as well.

Garrus cut in. "Sounds like this is going to be more than just another bug hunt."

Tali too joined in. "It could be another trap Shepard. We aren't exactly on good terms with Cerberus after destroying the Collector base." Shepard continued, lacing his hands together behind his back.

"I've considered that too. But there's supposed to be a new form of energy being tested on that ship. Supposedly it could give the Reapers a run for their money. It's a chance I'm willing to take."

"New resource, mission critical, yes. Still advise extreme caution. Cerberus not to be trusted." Mordin babbled. Joker looked over his shoulder at Shepard while still taping away at the flight controls.

"Ruam in sight commander." He turned to the holographic projection of EDI. "EDI, put us in high orbit and scan surrounding space for heat emmitions and radiation signitures."

"Initiating scan..." The AI's hologram flickered as it spoke.

"Alright team I want this to go smooth and by the book. Gear up." On the Spectre's orders, Tali, Legion, Mordin, and Garrus all made for the armory. Shepard watched them disappear from sight and then shifted to Joker.

"Heat signature detected. Reading a single vessel in low orbit around the planet." EDI alerted. The Normandy flew deeper into the clouds emanating from the gas giant and a large hulk of metal came in to view.

"That's it. Joker, take us in closer." Shepard commanded. The Normandy began to slowly circle the ship to examine the hull. It was massive for a research ship. Being six kilometers long with large wings filled with windows extending on both sides of the vessel and sporting a large Cerberus logo on the side of bow. It could have qualified as a space station.

"Their mass effect fields are still up, that's a good sign." Joker remarked.

"No lights... Sub light engines are offline... Joker, hail them." Shepard said as he spectated the scene.

"This is Lieutenant Jeff Moreau of the SSV Normandy, come in Bermuda." No response.

"Bermuda do you copy..." Still no response.

"Look there..." Shepard noticed several small ships locked in to the ships docking cradles.

"Those must be the scout ships." he concluded.

"Not reading any life signs on em'." Joker said still staring down at the controls.

"What about the Bermuda? Anything?" asked Shepard.

EDI spoke up. "I am having difficulty scanning the interior of the ship, however I do read an energy signature near the ships core. It could be the source of the interference."

Shepard leaned over Joker's chair. "It could be the power source we're looking for. Joker, dock with the ship. Lets find out what's going on in there."


	6. Ch6: A Warm Welcome

The soft, soothing music of the eternity bar was playing in air and thin layer of mist covered the room. Dozens could be seen ordering drinks and chatting away at the tables going about their daily lives. Included among the crowd were the former Cerberus officers Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor, casually sharing laughs while sharing a few drinks.

"-And then he ordered the mystery drink! he was puking all the way back to the ship! you should have seen it!" Miranda said trying to hold back her laughter.

Jacob was pounding his fist on the table, suffocating from laughter. Miranda too joined in and both were so loud that the Asari bartender couldn't help but smile. "_Haven't seen a lovely couple like that in a while," _the Asari Matriarch, Atheyta, thought to herself.

Jacob finally regained his composure and lifted his glass. "Well, what do you say? To Shepard?"

Miranda did the same and replied, "To Shepard, and to every time he drinks something not meant for a human."

Miranda smiled and Jacob chuckled as they tapped glasses. Miranda was about to take a sip but was distracted. Overhearing the conversation of a Turian and Quarian sitting at a nearby table.

"So...seeing anyone right now?" The Turian asked his Quarian friend modestly.

"Oh, not right now. Still trying to blow off steam from the ex. Why?" The Quarian female replied.

"Well I was just wondering...maybe... you'd like to-" he was interrupted by the beeping of her omni-tool.

"Aw sorry, that's the ex. Just a sec." The Quarian woman tapped a couple of times on her omni-tool to take the call.

"What do you want... No, we can't talk about this... You know damn well why... Because I die if I take it off Bosh'tet... forget it, we're through!" She tapped a button on her omni-tool, closing the call connection, and gazed back at her Turian friend.

"Sorry about that. What were you saying?" she asked.

"Um... I need to use the restroom." He got up from his table and walked past Miranda. She stopped him.

"Giving her hints won't get you anywhere." Miranda said with a smirk. The Turian seemed surprised as he turned to her and then proceeded to scratch the back of his neck.

"I-I was getting around to it." He replied. Miranda crossed her arms and leaned forward over the table.

"Unless you come straight out with it you'll continue to be a shadow to her." Miranda's smile faded and she leaned back in her chair. The Turian looked over at his Quarian companion still sitting where he left her and then back at Miranda.

"You're right! It's time I show some quad. Thanks lady!" He said happily as he ran back over to the table.

Miranda watched as Jacob downed his drink in one swig then peaked over her shoulder at the couple once more.

"Jacob... What happened to us?" She said with innocence. Jacob gathered himself and looked at her puzzled.

"Us?"

Miranda stiffened. "You know...us..."

Jacob was silent for a moment and looked down at his empty glass. "I dunno. Maybe...maybe work with Cerberus took too much priority at the time..." Again he was quiet.

Miranda gazed down at the table for a second before looking back up at Jacob. "Do you regret it?"

Jacob replied quicker than she expected. "Not at all."

This brought a smile to her face. Gaining confidence, she lifted her head and said "Well... Do you think it would have worked?"

Jacob grew a look of disappointment and paused for a few seconds then replied, "I really should be getting back. Talk to you later."

Miranda could only watch as he left the bar rather quickly. She felt embarrassed and wondered why she didn't just keep her mouth shut. Fiddling with her glass she looked up to gaze at the sky. She felt envious of the love Shepard and Tali shared. "_You're lucky Tali, I wish I could feel what you feel..."_

"How's it coming Tali?" asked Shepard.

"Almost finished. Those Cerberus bosh'tets use very complex encryption methods." she replied. Tali was hacking a door to grant them access into the Bermuda. Shepard and Garrus stood with their backs facing her and their weapons drawn.

"Alright we have access." The door swung open revealing a large security station. Normally there would have been guards to greet them. but the room appeared deserted and the lights were flickering on and off. A desk sat at the far corner of the room with windows leading to small offices on all sides.

"Keelah... What happened here?" Tali spoke nervously as she scanned the room.

"Signs of small arms fire everywhere. Not looking good." Garrus said pointing his M-97 sniper-rifle at a glass window filled with holes.

"OK people, we didn't come here on a field trip. Move out, three-meter spread." Shepard commanded.

On the Spectre's order, Tali, Garrus, and Mordin all fell in a single file line and moved through a damaged door barely half way open. As they slipped through Shepard immediately noticed several bodies and damaged LOKI mechs lying about the room.

"This doesn't look good." said Shepard. They all stopped to examine the room. A catwalk loomed overhead with the corpse of a human slumped over the railing, dripping blood down to the floor below. Mordin briskly walked over to a body that lay against the wall with its eyes bulging and it's arms laid out over the floor. He knelt down and held his arm over the corpse while tapping away at his omni-tool. A layout of the dead man's anatomy appeared showing his vitals and internal damage.

"Cerberus scientist. Single shot to shin..." He leaned in closer and opened the collar of the dead man; "Cause of death, strangulation...Unfortunate..."

"The rest look like they were gunned down. And the mechs aren't looking much better." Shepard replied as he surveyed the rest of the room.

"Looks like they were attacked." Garrus remarked. Tali immediately joined in on the examination.

"That doesn't seem likely..." The rest of the team turned to the Quarian to see her accessing a small terminal.

"The logs don't show any record of an attack. However, there are reports of mechs malfunctioning all over the ship. It looks like someone reprogrammed them."

Tali continued to tap away at the controls. "Bosh'tet! the rest of the data is encrypted. It will take days to decrypt all of it."

"Forward the data to EDI. We'll look at it later." Shepard said walking over to Tali's side.

"Done. Ready to move." Tali replied. Shepard waved a hand motioning for the team to follow as they made their way through several long access corridors. When they came to a fork in the tunnel Shepard held his arm up and clenched his fist, signaling for his team to hold position.

"We need to get to the bridge, Tali?" Shepard looked in her direction as if hinting to something and Tali activated a 3D map of the ship that appeared over her omni-tool.

"The corridor splits off into two routes. This one leads to a service elevator that will take us to the ships core. The other will take us to the tram station. It should be easy to gain access to the bridge from there." She said while pointing at each of the tunnels.

"Alright, we split up then. Tali, Mordin, you two get to the core and restore main power to the ship. Garrus and I will check out the bridge and find out what happened here." Immediately following Shepard's order, Tali protested.

"Shepard if it's all the same to you, my place is by your side." She said. Shepard looked into her eyes reassuringly.

"The bridge will likely have much more resistance if there are any mechs still standing. Besides I need an a good engineer that can show a reactor as much love as she does me." Shepard winked causing Tali to blush under her face mask.

"Trying to butter me up? You're such a sweat Bosh'tet." she said trying to hold back a giggle.

"Is it working?" Shepard said smiling and tilting his head to the side.

Tali sighed, "Unfortunately, yes" she teased.

Garrus cut in. "Next time you take me into the meat-grinder I expect to hear something similar" he said looking at Shepard.

"I figured you enjoyed a good fight Garrus. Not getting squishy on me are you?" he replied.

"Not a Hanar's chance in hell!" The Turian replied.

"Alright, lets move out. Good luck you two." said Shepard looking to Tali and Mordin.

"And to you Shepard. Please be careful" Tali replied. As Shepard watched Tali and Modin walk down the hall of the southern corridor, he turned to Garrus and motioned with his head for him to follow and they began to make their way to the tram station.

...

"My lord...What is your will?" The shadowy figure said as he looked in to the surveillance footage to see a Human, Turian, Salarian, and Quarian. There was a brief silence.

"Yes my lord. I will carry out thy bidding. I will smite these sinners in your name..." The man tapped a few controls on the console in front of him.

...

Shepard and Garrus had come to a very large room. Storage crates were everywhere. A magnetic crane could be seen hanging from the ceiling and the tram station controls could be seen in a small booth 20 meters ahead.

"This room rings a certain bell Shepard. But somethings missing..." Just as Garrus finished his sentence, doors on the left and right sides of the room opened and LOKI mechs in pairs of two stepped out from each door. The mechs seemed to not even notice the Human and Turian and stood completely motionless. A memory flashed in the mind of the Turian. He remembered when Shepard helped him hunt down Harkin through the Citadel's factory district.

"Ah yeah, now it definitely rings a bell." the Turian concluded. Just then the mechs suddenly all turned and pointed their weapons at the two. Shepard and Garrus shared a quick gaze of shock at each other and then dove for cover behind the large crate in front of them.

Swarms of heated lasers flew overheard and around the crates. Both drew their weapons just as an explosion rocked the ground in front of the crate they used as cover causing them both to wince then stare at each other.

"Next time keep your Turian mouth shut." Shepard yelled over the buzzing over the lasers.

"My bad." Garrus replied. The two winced again as another explosion was set off even closer. Shepard reacted by blindly firing a burst from his M-8 Avenger assault rifle over his shoulder, not knowing if any of the shots actually hit anything.

"I don't think these crates were made to withstand forty millimeter grenades Shepard!" Garrus exclaimed. Shepard looked around the room trying to think of a tactic. A plan came to mind when he noticed a set of stairs leading to a balcony overhead.

"Garrus I need you to take up a sniping position in that balcony." Shepard then grabbed a grenade from his belt. "I'll cover you! Get ready!"

Shepard punched a button on the thermal grenade and then shouted "GO!" With that, Garrus flew out of cover toward the stair case just as Shepard leaned out to toss his grenade. It flew over toward two mechs who stared at it as it flew in their direction.

"Warning, incoming explosive, initiate retrea-" Before the mechs could finish their sentences, the grenade went off obliterating them and sending their synthetic limbs flying in all directions. The debris of an arm managed to slam into another mech causing its head to fall out of socket and dangle from the rest of its body as its metal husk wobbled around aimlessly. Garrus had finally reached the balcony and drew his Sniper rifle.

"SAY HELLO TO MY WITTLE FWIEND!" Garrus yelled as he popped a mech in the head with a single slug. The mech fell to the ground, crackled with electricity and then exploded as Garrus shot another one in the leg causing it to drop its weapon. Shepard finished it off with a short burst from his rifle. As Garrus sighted down the scope of his weapon he noticed a single LOKI mech at the back of the room holding a M-100 Grenade launcher. It took aim at Garrus and the Turian panicked for a split second, firing a single sniper round into its arm causing it to stagger, point its weapon at the ground and accidentally fire, destroying itself. The Turian broke away from his scope for a moment to grin triumphantly at the unexpected kill. Garrus sighted down his scope again, but he didn't hear the large door behind him hiss open. He heard the heavy metal footsteps and quickly broke away from his scope to turn around only to be greeted by a YMIR heavy mech.

"Dammit!" He shouted as he attempted to aim at the heavy mech's head. Before he could make the kill, the YMIR swung its heavy arm knocking Garrus off the balcony. Shepard noticed him fall and yelled during the brief time Garrus was in the air.

"Garrus!" Garrus ended up landing on one of the remaining LOKI mechs, smashing it under his back. He winced and groaned in pain for a second before Shepard ran over to help him to his feet.

Just as Shepard gripped his hand, Garrus pointed up at the balcony. "Look out!" Shepard looked up at the the YMIR heavy mech leaning over the balcony gazing down at them and quickly pulled Garrus from the pile of metal just as the heavy mech jumped down and landed on the pile of scrap that was once a LOKI mech. Keeping hold of Garrus' hand, Shepard was sprinting towards cover just as the YMIR mech held out its arm and fired a single rocket in their direction. Shepard and Garrus leaped forward to dodge the rocket causing it to impact with the last LOKI mech in the room. The two quickly dove behind another set of large crates for cover.

"Damn!"

...

Meanwhile, Tali and Mordin strode down a hallway. Continuing towards the ships core. "Shepard... Shepard do you copy?" No response.

"Shepard! It's Tali! please respond!" Again, she was greeted with silence.

Mordin shifted his head to Tali as they continued their pace. "Must focus on task Tali'Zorah. Activate core. Restore main power."

Tali clenched her fists and halted. "So your saying I shouldn't be worried that he hasn't responded to my voice since we split up?" She yelled.

"No offense intended Miss Zorah. Know you care deeply for Shepard, but mind must be on mission. Personal attachment a burden when emotions not controlled."

Tali looked down at her feet and began to wring her hands nervously. "I...I'm sorry Mordin. You're right. The mission comes first..."

Mordin walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Understandable. Concern for loved ones hard to manage when in danger. No need for apology."

Tali dropped her hands to her sides. "It's just...what if he's hurt... Or worse, what if he ran into-" Before she could finish small hatches along the hallway in front of them slowly opened revealing several LOKI mechs. Mordin jaw dropped and Tali took a step back.

"Oh Keelah..."

"Oh dear..." They both said simultaneously.


	7. Ch7: From Bad To Worse

Shepard and Garrus dove behind a pair of pillars, moving from their crate as the YMIR heavy mech converged on their position. Garrus crouched down and looked at his sniper rifle. He flinched as the weapon sparked when he checked the ammo counter.

"I could use a weapon here, Shepard!" The Specter reached behind his back, grabbing his Incisor sniper rifle and tossed it to the Turian. Garrus began to prime his new weapon as he glanced over at his commander.

"I don't think we can take this thing head on at this range." Shepard knew he right, if they were to leave their only protection, the mech would either gun them down in seconds, or kill them both at once with a single rocket.

"_Think dammit! you took on two of these in the factory district on the Citadel..."_ The Spectre peaked his head out of cover and glanced at the crane overhead.

"Garrus, when I tell you, shoot the cranes support cables."

"What are you gonna-" Shepard had already flew out of cover before Garrus could ask his question. The Specter ran to the side of the room and began to wave his arms up and down at the hulking machine.

"Hey! Over here!" he yelled. The YMIR turned to him.

"TARGET ACQUIRED." It readied its devastating chain gun just as Shepard dove behind another pillar. It continued to march toward him, unaware of the they had devised against it.

"Garrus now!" The Turian leaned out and with haste, sighted down his scope firing a single burst of rounds at the cables holding up the large circular magnet that was the crane. The Cables began to snap as the heavy mech continued its pace. Shepard leaned out from the pillar and gazed up at the giant magnet as it began to tilt.

"TERMINATE TARGET" The YMIR slowly charged its mass accelerator, ready to deliver the killing blow upon the helpless human. But before it could fire, Shepard fired one last burst from his assault rifle at the last two cables causing the crane fall straight down onto the YMIR mech. Upon impact the heavy mech's arm shot up and fired a rocket at the balcony behind Shepard which causing debris to fall all around him. Garrus watched in horror as his commander become encased under a pile of metal. He feared the worst.

"Shepard!" He yelled as he ran over to heap of metal. He began to lift the large chunks off of his friend and stopped when he saw a lifeless gloved hand.

"Dammit... Dammit Shepard..." He crouched down and gazed at the floor. Just then the motionless hand grabbed his own which sparked a new hope inside the Turian. Garrus pulled as hard as he could lifting Shepard up and out of the debris. Shepard leaned foward and patted his friend on the shoulder as he looked over at the crushed YMIR heavy mech, its arms sticking out from under the heavy magnet still sparking. The two came to a stop in front of the metal corpse to admire the sight triumphantly for a moment.

"So... Did I hear you quote Scarface?" He asked. Garrus began rubbing the back of his neck.

"Eheheh... Yeah, Joker got me hooked on that." Shepard simply smiled and shook his head, then directed his attention to the tram car at the end of room. "Come on buddy, we need to get to the bridge. Then we'll find the prick responsible for this massacre.

...

Tali was sprinting down a long corridor with Mordin right on her tail. Both occasionally looking back to fire a couple of shots to slow the march of the LOKI mechs behind them.

"Must find cover! Wave of mechs appears continuous!" Tali was still running seeming to completely tune out Mordin. She reached for her belt to grab a grenade and tossed it at the group of mechs behind them. She could see them being blown to bits by the explosion only to be replaced by another group emerging from the smoke.

"This isn't working Mordin! We need to find cover!" She yelled as they continued their pace. They ran past another hatch down the hall. Tali had noticed a control terminal on the side. She was praying there would be something she could do to slow the mechs whether it be to open a few airlocks, or simply lock the door. She took cover on the side of the door as Mordin kept running not noticing she had stopped behind him. Like an ace she activated her omni-tool and scrolled through the codes. She found exactly what she was hoping for. Mordin realized she wasn't following anymore and spun around as bullets wized past him.

"Tali'Zorah! No time to hide!" he said as he saw her crouched down near the wall controls. Suddenly a series of panels on the ceiling opened up revealing several small security turrets. Tali scrolled through a few more codes and the guns immediately began firing on the approaching squad of mechs, shredding them all in seconds. When the last mech fell to the ground, Mordin slowly walked back over to Tali.

"Efficient and decisive thinking Miss done." Tali stood up and smiled behind her face mask as she viewed the carnage in the hallway behind them.

"Security mechs always give their targets time to surrender but these ones immediately started shooting. Whoever reprogrammed them must still be on this ship." Tali once more observed the scene then continued to move forward.

"Come on, the sooner we restart the reactor the sooner we can get back to Shepard." she said as they pushed onward. They came to a service elevator about 40 meters down the next hallway and both stepped in. Mordin punched the controls for the reactor control room and the elevator began its descent. Tali loaded a fresh heat sink into her shotgun and Mordin proceeded to do the same with his SMG. A few moments later the elevator began to descend into a clear glass shaft where both Tali and Mordin were almost awestruck at what they saw. The reactor room was massive! So massive that three of the Normandy could fit in the room. They could both see the core in the center of the room which seemed to act as the foundation for the entire area.

The elevator reached ground floor where a balcony overlooked the core. A large console that Tali assumed was the main terminal could seen at the edge of it. The young engineer made her way over to the console and Mordin followed suite. She placed her hand under her chin as she took a few moments to examine the controls. It seemed rather complicated. This could take a while she thought. She placed her hands over the console and it flared to life causing her to jump in surprise.

"This is it! I just need a few minutes to hack through the firewalls and we can be on our way." She raised her arm and activated her omni-tool, scrolling through page after page of codes and tapping a few buttons on the terminal simultaneously. She finished her hack and was confused by the results

"This doesn't make since. The logs show that no one has deactivated the reactor and there's no obstruction in power flow or any damage to the core that I can see." She took a few steps back and folded her arms, stumped as to what could cause the reactor to shut down for no particular reason. She turned to Mordin to see him examining the power cell compartments on the walls opposite the terminal. They all glowed a bright lime green color indicating that each still had plenty enough to feed to core. But he noticed something odd. One of them was glowing blue. Mordin reached for the handle and twisted it releasing the round 12 by 6 inch container. He looked over it for a few seconds.

"Believe I found problem." he said. Tali walked over and grabbed the container to see for herself. She peered inside the small glass window of the power cell and was astonished to see thousands of tiny blue particles flowing in random undulation. She had never seen anything like it before.

"What is it?" she asked. Mordin took the container from her hands and ran his omni-tool over it.

"Does not match any known energy signature. Experimental power source found it seems." Suddenly a loud humming sound could be heard and the ships core began to glow brightly as power returned to it.

"This must have been what was interfering with the flow of power. But why would someone purposely sabotage the reactor?" she said. They observed the room for a few more seconds.

"Come on, we need to show this to Shepard." Tali said with a nod.

"Yes, commander's opinion needed." They both stepped back onto the elevator and just as it began to ascend, Tali's comm link activated and a static voice came through. "Ta...ali...do...read?" Tali jumped slightly.

"Shepard? Shepard is that you?" The static voice continued but sounded a little clearer this time.

"Tali, me and Gar...headed to bridge. Did you get...core...online?"

"Yes. We got the package too and we're on our way back." she replied.

"Good...meet you back...the ship. We're almost...the bridge." Shepard said, his voice still distorted by the static.

"Copy, be careful Shepard." she said, ending the transmission.

...

Shepard and Garrus stood inside the tram as it speedily made its way to the station closest to the bridge. "Commander, it's Joker. EDI's done what she can to compensate for the comm and sensor interference."

EDI cut in. "Commander, I'm detecting a single life sign on the bridge. I suggest you proceed with caution." Shepard and Garrus shared a quick glance.

"Payback time..." Garrus said priming his rifle.

"Copy that EDI. Shepard out." The tram came to stop and the two stepped out weapons drawn. They proceeded down a narrow hallway with a door at the end that read "BRIDGE." They stopped in front of it and Garrus proceeded to access the door controls.

"Someones sealed it from the other end. Nothing my little friend here can't fix." Garrus lifted his rifle and fired a slug directly into the panel. The hatch shot open and the two slowly walked into a pitch black room. Activating their flashlights, they began to scan the room.

"I think I can say from experience that nothing good ever happens in a dark room Shepard." Garrus whispered. Suddenly the bridge's window shutters opened revealing the light of the gas giant Ruam outside. The two directed their attention to the captains chair in the center of the room and could see the dark shape of a human sitting in it. The figure began to speak in a somewhat haunting tone.

"And God looked upon the earth...and behold... It was corrupt..." The man slowly began to turn around to face the two in his chair and continued. "For all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth..." Shepard and Garrus straightened their stances and with their weapons, took aim.

"Who are you and what have you done to the crew?" Shepard demanded. The man got up from his chair and took a few steps forward into the light where his face could be seen. He was human. Old. Wrinkles covered his face. His eyes were bloodshot. His hair seemed to be decaying as the gray strands covered his head in random spots.

"I...am the hand of God! And he demands that I destroy you sinners that stand before me!" the man said raising his open hands outward from his sides. Garrus reacted by sighting down his weapon.

"Righteous words coming from someone who slaughtered the hundreds of people on this ship." The man turned around to stare out the front windows.

"All sinners. Their deaths was the will of the Lord." he said as Shepard took aim.

"Then I guess the lord won't mind if I add one more to the body count." With that the Specter fired a burst of rounds at the man but they were deflected by the barrier that was erected in front of him. Caught off guard, Shepard lowered his weapon and his eyes widened in surprise. The man then turned back to the human and Turian.

"I will fulfill the Lord's wishes!" He sat back down in his chair and tapped a few buttons on the arm of the chair. The room lit up and a single door on each side of the room opened with two heavy mechs stepping out from each.

"Shepard, I think it's time for one of your brilliant exit strategies." Garrus said as his mandibles twitched. The two took a few steps back and then ran for the door. Just before it closed behind them, an explosion hit at the back of their feet causing the two to fall to the floor. Shepard got up first and helped Garrus to his feet and they quickly ran back to the tram car. As they stepped inside one of the YMIR mechs had emerged from the hallway and began unloading its chain gun at the tram car. The two ducked in cover as the windows all around them shattered from the laser fire. Shepard fired a few shots over his shoulder.

"Garrus, get us the hell outta here!" Garrus ran to the front of the tram car and punched the controls causing the tram to accelerate to full speed almost instantly, knocking him off his feet.

"Joker, prep the Normandy's engines! We're getting out of here!" Joker responded over the comm immediately.

"Roger that commander. Tali and Mordin just showed up. We're just waiting on you." Less than a minute later the tram came to a stop and the two stepped out into the very same room where their previous battle took place. They almost stumbled over as they halted to see four YMIR mechs at the end of the room blocking their exit.

They quickly dove for cover behind a crate as lasers wized past them overhead. Suddenly the ship began to shake all around them.

"The hells going on!" Shepard exclaimed. EDI then replied over the comm.

"Commander, someone has put the ship in a nose dive toward the planet-" Joker interrupted before EDI could continue.

"Commander, in four minutes the planets winds will rip the ship apart like tissue paper! We need you back here now!" Shepard peered out to view the mechs. A single slug barely missed his head.

"Easier said then done Joker." he said retreating back into cover.

...

Tali and Mordin were standing behind Joker in the cockpit listening to what was happening. Tali primed her shotgun and then headed for the airlock.

"I'm going after them!" Mordin grabbed her by the arm.

"Must advise against Miss Zorah!" Tali slapped his hand off of her and ran into the airlock. Just as it sealed behind her however, it opened again almost instantly and Grunt stepped in, grabbed Tali by the suit strap on her back and threw her back into the ship. Tali lifted her head up and looked at Grunt in shock as she laid on her back. The Krogan peaked over his shoulder and gave her a smirk. As the airlock sealed, Legion came running to Tali's aid. It proceeded to help her up,.

"We advised to crewman-Grunt that leaving the Normandy would be in direct violation of Shepard-Commander's orders resulting in disciplinary action. He did not comply..."

...

Shepard and Garrus continued to be bombarded by lasers and rockets. They thought for sure this would be their last mission; a simple errand would be their last mission.

"_I pull my team through two suicide missions only to die on a baggage run!"_ Shepard thought to himself.

"Shepard..." Garrus began to take on a look of depression. Turian expressions were hard to read, but not for Shepard.

"If we don't make it out of this, there's something I need to get off my chest." Shepard was a little annoyed. He didn't want to acknowledge death as an option. After all, dying once was painful enough.

"What? Now? Put a lid on it Garrus! We're gonna make it!" He snapped. Garrus tried to think of a constructive way of saying it but decided that with only 3 minutes left to live, it would be best just to come out with it.

"I saw Tali naked!" The Turian blurted out. Shepard's jaw nearly hit the floor,

"You what!" Garrus winced a bit.

"If we had more time I'd explain it all to myself but for now I'll just leave it at-" An explosion blew their cover to pieces sending them both flying backwards with Garrus landing directly on top of Shepard. Two YMIRs approached and stood over them. Garrus' mandibles flexed wide open as he prepared for his hopefully not to painful death. Just then a large fist burst its way through the mechs chest causing it to fall to its side. Both were stunned at the sight. Grunt stood over the dead metal husk with a look of rage that neither of them had seen before. The other three heavy mechs turned and began firing their chain guns at the Krogan. He responded with a ferocious charge, his fortification acting as a shield against the slugs. He slammed into the YMIR causing it to fall over. He stood over its chest and fired a shot from his Claymore shotgun into its head destroying it instantly.

The other two mechs continued to fire but Grunt acted swiftly. He leaped high into the air and landed one of the mechs shoulders. He then took his shotgun and fired two rounds into each shoulder joint causing both of its arms to fall off. Wires dangled from the armless joints and sparked as Grunt put one last round into its head causing the body to explode just as he jumped off. The final heavy mech prepared a rocket for the Krogan. As Grunt saw it lifting its arm he looked at his shotgun only to see a piece of shrapnel stuck in the side of it. He dropped it and picked up the arm of the mech he had just destroyed. The final YMIR fired a rocket, Grunt did the same with the arm he now held and both shots collided at the center of the room exploding.

The heavy mech stared at the smoke of the explosion looking for its target just as Grunt emerged from the cloud and began to charge. Before the YMIR could react in defense, the Krogan held out his fist and slammed it into the YMIR's chest causing it to stagger and fall. It tried to pick itself up but Grunt was relentless. He jumped on top of it and began to beat it to death with his bare hands. When he had decided that the beating he delivered was sufficient, he stopped and stood over the corpse for a second then stomped one foot down on the heavy mech's head crushing it under his weight.

He walked slowly over to the human and Turian who were slowly rising to their feet and gave Shepard a blank stare. Shepard stared back for a moment then held out his hand. "Thanks..." Grunt took a step back.

"This changes nothing. If you were too weak to stand against these pathetic machines, how can you hope to best me in single combat?" Shepard's expression turned to anger but before he could respond Joker yelled over the comm.

"Commander, we got less than two minutes before we all turn into living smoothies!" Shepard forgot all about what Grunt said and began to run as fast as he could back to the Normandy with Grunt and Garrus on his heels.

"We're almost there Joker get ready to pull us out!" As they all were running down the corridors to the Normandy they heard a voice over the ships loudspeaker.

"This is not the end sinners! You will die! You will all die! For he will come for you! He will flay your minds until all that remains are charred corpses!" They all finally reached the Normandy and crammed into the airlock.

"We're in! Joker get us the hell outta here!" Joker's hands went crazy over the flight controls and ignited the engines.

"Hang on everyone! This ones sure to leave mark!" The Normandy detached from the docking cradle and sped away from the Bermuda that disappeared into the ocean blue gas clouds with its hull being torn apart by the gusting winds.

...

Inside the bridge of the Bermuda the man who had tried to kill Shepard, his love, and his friends could only watch out the front windows of the ship as he awaited his inevitable doom. "My life for you Lord... My life for you!" The last thing he saw was the glass shattering and the shards fly at this face before the ship exploded altogether.


	8. Ch8: Loves Lost And Found

The three stood in the airlock as it cycled through the decontamination process. Shepard could only dwell on what happened back on the Bermuda, how Grunt had saved his life as well as the life of his friend Garrus. He couldn't figure out whether he did it because secretly, deep down inside that callous, hardened heart of his, he actually cared about his friend and battle-master, or if he was only keeping him alive for the battle ahead so that he could crush the life out of him. Neither he, nor Kelly, or the most experienced psychologist in the galaxy could read the mind behind the thick skull plate of the tank bred Krogan. He decided to bury the thought when the airlock doors opened. Before Shepard could even take one step forward, something leaped into his arms nearly knocking him off his feet.

"Keelah! Oh Keelah, Shepard!" Tali struggled to speak through her tears as she sobbed heavily, resting her head in his chest. This only made him struggle to fight back tears of his own as he returned the affectionate embrace; tightly wrapping his arms around her back.

Shepard felt his throat swell as he said the first thing that came to mind. "Tali..." he said softly.

"Oh Sh-Shepard... I-I thought..." Shepard lifted her head with a single finger placed under her chin.

"I'm still here Tali. I'm not going anywhere..." Grunt seemed annoyed, if not disgusted by the loving gesture and snorted loudly as he stormed off back to his quarters. Garrus watched the angry Krogan stomp his way to the elevator and simply shook his head.

Shepard finally broke their embrace and gently laced her hands in his. He was caught off guard when he felt a pit in her glove. He glanced at it to notice a charred hole. The bare skin of her hand was exposed. "

Tali! Your hand!" He exclaimed. She gasped when she noticed the breach.

"Oh Keelah!" She quickly placed her right hand over the hole in her left glove.

"We should get Chawkwas to look at that right away." he said with concern. Tali was more disappointed that they couldn't hold each other a little longer than she was worried about the suit breach. But she knew this wasn't something to be taken lightly. After all, Quarians never know how sick they will get when exposed to outside air. And since she was in the presence of a Turian, it only succeeded to further her concern.

...

Tali sat up on one of the medical beds while Chawkwas drew some blood from her arm to check for infections. Shepard stood on the right side of the bed caressing the palm of her right hand.

"Wouldn't it be faster to use the biological scanner?" Tali questioned.

"Yes, but I want to be thorough, Miss Zorah. Especially with you being Quarian." Chakwas replied. She finished extracting a sample of Tali's blood and then walked over to her microscope and squeezed a drop from the syringe onto a small pallet of glass.

"How bad is it Doc?" Shepard said as he watched Chakwas peer into the microscope.

"There's definitely some foreign matter in your blood Miss Zorah, you'll probably feel the effects in an hour or two. I won't know the full extent of the infection until then." Chakwas walked back over to the bed where Tali sat. "Commander, with your permission I'd like to keep her overnight for observation. Just to be safe."

"I feel fine at the moment Doctor Chakwas. I can still perform my duties." Tali said as she tried to hop off the bed. Shepard stopped her and wrapped his arm around her back and slowly laid her down.

"She's right Tali. We won't know how sick you are until the symptoms hit you. I don't want to any take chances. Rest here for tonight. For me." Tali grabbed Shepard's free hand and tried to lift herself up.

"No really I'm alright, I can-" Shepard placed his hand on the side of her helmet.

"Captain's orders..." he said lovingly.

Tali replied in almost a whisper. "That's not fair Shepard..."

"I know..." he said with a smile as he leaned in to kiss her visor. "I'm gonna go check on Garrus. I'll see you later Miss vas Normandy." Tali squeezed his hand one last time before she let go and watched him as he left the med bay. Mordin was standing outside waiting for him.

"Shepard, my sympathies for Tali'Zorah's condition." Shepard reached up with one hand to gently rub both of his exhausted eyes.

"She's doing fine at the moment. But thanks. I heard you both found what the Illusive man talked about." Mordin reached behind his back to reveal the small canister containing the unknown, fluid-like energy.

"Yes. Still uncertain. Can identify most elements at first glance. But this one... mystery. Will analyze in lab." he explained.

"Alright, let me know when you figure it out." Shepard replied. Mordin walked off toward the elevator and Garrus rounded the corner, passing him. He seemed a little distressed. Shepard assumed he wanted to explain how on earth he managed to sneak a peak at his girlfriend.

"Shepard, I know you wanna talk about what I said so...lets do it somewhere private." Shepard narrowed his eyes and followed Garrus into the main battery. Garrus locked the doors once they were both inside.

"OK, now before you freak out, please let me explain." Garrus said nervously. Shepard took a step back and folded his arms.

"Explain why you decided to have a peep show staring Tali'Zorah vas Normandy?" Shepard retorted.

Garrus raised his arms and flexed his mandibles. "I-It wasn't like that I swear! I was looking for you a-and when I went to your cabin she was just, just there without her suit! And well, everything else!" Shepard didn't know if he wanted to continue this. But how could he not? After all, he felt that seeing Tali's face as well as the rest of her body was a privilege that belonged to him and him only.

"So your saying it was an accident?" Garrus seemed slightly relieved for a second.

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying." Shepard began to rub his forehead and sighed.

"Lets...just pretend it never happened." Garrus couldn't believe he got off the hook that easy.

"Phew... Thanks Shepard." Shepard turned around to leave and just as the doors opened, Garrus stopped him for a second.

"Uh, hey Shepard!" The Specter looked over his shoulder. "Please don't tell her I told you." Shepard just smiled and continued to walk as the doors sealed behind him. His smile turned from genuine to mischievous. He wasn't going to let Garrus off without getting even with him in some way and he knew just how to do it. But that would come later. He had more important things to attend to right now. And he decided that contacting the Illusive man would be at the top of his list.

...

"Joker open a channel to the Illusive man."

"Roger commander, patching you through." Just as he expected, the table merged with the floor and the imaging grids came online as he stepped into the center of the room. When the process was finished he could see the Cerberus leader not sitting in his chair, but standing up and looking out the front viewer at the burning star in the background.

"Shepard, I take it your mission was a success?" The Illusive man said not turning around to face the image of the Spectre

"It was. Someone reprogrammed the Bermuda's security mechs and slaughtered the whole crew. Almost got us, too."

The Illusive man turned to the side and Shepard could see the shadowy figure take a drag from his cigarette. _"If this guy was born a hundred years earlier he would have lung cancer by now..." _Shepard thought.

"I see..." The Illusive man replied. "I suspected as much. I hope you managed to recover my...investment."

"We did."

"And the Bermuda?" The figure said taking a few steps closer to the Spectre's image.

"Destroyed, whoever reprogrammed the mechs put the ship into a nose dive toward Ruam. From what I gathered he was obviously insane, rambling on about being thehand of God." Shepard replied. The Illusive man sat back down in his chair and tapped a few controls on the arm.

"I'm sending you coordinates to a Cerberus research facility. If you would be so kind as to deliver the power source yourself once you've taken care of your business on Tuchanka. Sooner than later I prefer. Due be careful with it until then." The Illusive man cut the channel and Shepard remained still, remembering that it would soon be time to land on Tuchanka and participate in his duel against his friend Grunt. Or, at least that's what he was hoping to still think of him as. A friend... His chain of thought was replaced by thoughts of Tali. He couldn't wait to check on her, but she was probably sleeping by now, and he knew that he should do the same.

...

Returning to his cabin, Shepard entered to find everything in its usual place. The Space hamster still hiding in its little cave, the photo of him and Tali on the desk next to his terminal, and the fish weren't dead. Thank Christ. He decided that a hot shower would be the best way to relax before he hopped in bed. He slipped of his armor one piece at a time. First his chest plate, his shoulder guards, arm guards, all the way down to his grieves. When he was fully undressed his stepped into the hot stream of water letting it flow down his face.

He shifted his position and gazed over at the bathtub he had recently installed over by the wall. It made him think more of Tali. Every time he took a shower she would take off her enviro-suit and relax by submerging herself into the soothing warm water of the tub. He began to feel more and more lonely as he stared at it imagining the image of the unmasked, uncovered beauty of his lover. He knew she was only two floors below him, resting peacefully in the medical bay, but it didn't seem to dismiss what he was feeling.

What love he felt for her he thought. He had only been away from her for a few hours and already wanted her back in his arms. Maybe this love they shared was more than just a temporary relationship. Maybe he wanted more. Maybe she wanted more. Maybe they could be more...together. These thoughts brought an intense warmth to his heart. But would she really want to be Mrs. Tali'Shepard vas Normandy? Of course he knew she would say yes in a heartbeat, but then where were these feelings of doubt coming from. Did he really love her? Yes, he knew he did, and he knew she felt the same way about him. But he asked himself a simple question... Would it work? A human and quarian? Never being able to touch her when the mood struck him? Or create children with her for that matter?

For now he decided to sleep on it. He had just pulled his crew through a mission that nearly killed them and he still had a suicidal battle with Grunt coming up. He was absolutely exhausted. Rest became his only concern at that moment.

He stepped out of the shower and dried himself then put on a pair of briefs he had laid out on the counter. He went over to his terminal to check his messages real quick. Nothing new except something from the rest of the crew back on Illium, wishing him the best of luck in his match. At least they're rooting for him, but Grunt still had the home field advantage. He closed the terminal and walked over to his bed slowly. He laid down, through the sheets back over himself and looked over to the right side of the bed expecting to see Tali lying next to him. She wasn't. She was still down in med bay. Hopefully sleeping better than he was.

He quickly drifted off to sleep. All the excitement of the day overcame him. As he eyelids slowly shut he whispered one last thing before darkness took him. "Good night, Tali..."

...

Back on Illium things were far less exciting. Miranda was still embarrassed about what she had asked Jacob. It's been years since they were together and she thought she had moved on. But seeing Shepard so happy and in love with Tali seemed to awaken feelings long forgotten. Perhaps she wanted to share that kind of happiness. But is that what she really wanted? Or was she simply envious. Maybe even both.

Miranda's mind had been strained by these thoughts as she walked out of the eternity bar all the way to the vista. The sun was setting and most of the crowds had dispersed. She happened to glance over at the stairs leading to Liara's office and decided to check up on her. After all, they hadn't spoken since their first follow up when Shepard retrieved vital data on the Shadow Broker for her. And before that, when Liara had turned over the Spectre's body to Cerberus. Liara also shared a past relationship with him. Maybe she could find comfort in talking with her about "Lost love."

She briskly walked up the stairs, catching a glance at Liara's new secretary who nodded in acknowledgment of her presence and motioned for the door with an open hand. Liara was accessing her console while occasionally taking a sip from a glass filled with clear fluid next it. It seemed she didn't realize Miranda was in the room until Miranda began to sit down in the chair opposite of her. Liara raised her head.

"Miss Lawson! This is an unexpected visit." Liara said as she leaned back in her chair.

"I don't mind you calling me Miranda Miss T'soni. As I hope you don't mind if I call you Liara."

Liara smiled. "Of course not." Miranda leaned forward in her chair.

"So how have you been?" Miranda asked. Liara frowned and leaned forward, placing her elbows on the desk.

"If you are referring to my well being, I am fine. If you are referring to my work, however, it is as it has been. I've made very little progress in discovering the whereabouts of the Shadow Broker. But I haven't given up yet. I can't... I owe it to Feron..." Liara said as she stood up and walked over to the balcony. Miranda decided to change the subject.

"Liara... I know you had a past relationship with Shepard... And I know it isn't easy to talk about..." Liara dropped her head.

"Yes..." was all she could say at the moment. Liara turned back around and took her place once again in her chair.

"How did you move on?" Miranda's question brought a small tear down Liara's cheek. She felt stupid for asking such a question. Liara responded after wiping the tear from her face.

"Sometimes...you can't have the one you love... But if you can't have him...you can do the next best thing and look out for him."

The way Liara said this sounded almost depressing to Miranda's ears, but it was true. Life isn't always fair. Maybe she couldn't have Jacob, but she wouldn't let that make her give up on finding love. She could still look after him as she has for the past few years they've served in Cerberus as well as with Shepard. Shepard... She suddenly started to worry about him. He's tough, but Grunt was more than a match for him. She gazed at the starry sky outside the room seeing that the sun had disappeared from view and thought about Tali.

"_Don't die on her Shepard. She needs you more than any of us ever will..."_


	9. Ch9: Someone To Fight For

_A blinding light flashed before Shepard's eyes. He wanted to shield them but he could not close his eyes. The light quickly cleared revealing a vast field of tall yellow grass. He looked around but found no end to it. It seemed as if it went on forever. He began to walk slowly and cautiously. He wondered why he couldn't feel his heartbeat or the grass under his bare feet. Suddenly he felt his foot catch something and he tripped; breaking his fall with his two hands. He gazed at the ground beneath him as he began to lift himself, but then another blinding flash of light blurred his vision. When it cleared he was awestruck at what he saw._

_Tali. She lay under him. Mask off, unsuited. Only loosely wrapped purple robes covered her body. She stared into his eyes with affection as a genuine smile grew on her face. Shepard tried to say her name but realized he couldn't speak for some reason. Worry began to overtake him, what is this place? Where did Tali come from? Why can't I feel- His thoughts vanished as she reached up with one hand to pull him in for a kiss. Their lips touched and Shepard felt a wonderful sensation rush through his body. He lifted his head to stare affectionately into her eyes as she stared back. He began to lower himself once again; bracing for the next divine kiss. But just as their lips were about to touch..._

Shepard awoke abruptly. His eyes shot open and he gazed at the ceiling. He didn't bother to make any sort of movement for a few moments. He wanted to cherish the feelings that the beautiful dream he just experienced brought on. He closed his eyes once again and began to reach over to the side of his bed as if to feel for something, or someone...

Nothing... No Tali... She was still in med bay. Poor Tali he thought. Having to sleep in that dreadful medical bed while he lay in comfortable warm sheets in his cabin. Thoughts of the day before came back to him. Tali, suit breach, She could be deathly ill. He looked over at the holo-clock on the counter next to the bed. 07:35 hours. Morning. He practically leaped out of bed and slipped his uniform on quickly, not realizing he had put his pants on backwards. He slipped them off and corrected his mistake then ran out of his cabin and into the elevator.

...

He arrived at the crew deck and before stepping out of the elevator, took a deep breath to prepare for the worst. Then walked at a quick pace over and into the med bay. When he walked in Tali was sitting up in her bed. Chakwas handed her a packet of nutrient paste. Shepard's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something but decided not too. Instead he just smiled at seeing her up and well. Tali noticed him upon taking the packet from Chakwas. She coughed harshly before speaking.

"Shepard!" She said sniffling. Shepard rushed over to her side and embraced her tigtly causing her to drop the packet of nutrient paste. He squeezed as hard as he could. Tali's arms flew out as she whimpered in pain.

"Ugh, Shepard!" Shepard released her immediately and his expression turned to sadness, thinking he had hurt her.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Tali put her hand on his arm.

"It's not your fault. My joints are aching really bad right now." Tali said in a nasally tone. Shepard turned to Chakwas as if expecting her to elaborate on Tali's condition. She smiled.

"It's not better than I'd hoped, but it's not worse than I feared either. She's having a moderate allergic reaction. Flu like symptoms. Joint pain, nasal and chest congestion-Should be better in a day or two, commander." Shepard felt the bump in his throat and ache in his chest vanish. He was relieved that she wasn't suffering or worse, dying. He grabbed her hand that was still on his arm and placed it in his.

"Glad to hear it doc." He said turning to face Tali. She looked down at the packet on the floor and Chakwas knelt down to pick it up.

"What is it?" The Spectre questioned.

"Her breakfast mixed with anti-biotics and other supplements that will ease her symptoms." Chakwas replied as she placed the packet in Tali's lap. Shepard looked at Tali with a loving stare then picked up the packet and connected it to her helmet. Tali finished the process by reaching to touch something behind her helmet. She began to slowly devour the medical paste, talking to Shepard in between each mouth full.

"I'll be alright Shepard." She took another mouth full and swallowed. "Don't let me slow you down. I'm sure you have a lot to attend to after what happened yesterday." she said. Shepard watched her glowing eyes as they stared back at him while she continued to eat. He could tell she was smiling behind her mask. He began to slowly wrap his arms around her but she recoiled as if expecting it to hurt. He brought his head back and smiled at her assuring that he would be gentle. He then held her in a soft, gentle embrace.

"Is it OK for her to leave the med bay?" he said turning to Chakwas.

"Yes, but I wouldn't recommend her returning to duty before getting some rest." the doctor said with concern in her voice.

"I actually had something else in mind." Shepard reached one hand around Tali's back and the other under her legs. She squeaked upon feeling herself being carried in his powerful arms.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked playfully.

"To a more comfortable bed." he replied.

"I wouldn't advice sexual activity either, commander." said Chakwas. Shepard shifted his body ,bringing Tali around with him, to look back at Dr. Chakwas as he stood by the door.

"It's her you should be worried about Doctor. I have to just about tie her down to keep her from pouncing on me" he said grinning at Tali. Tali responded with a soft punch to his shoulder.

"Bosh'tet! Ow..." She whimpered as she felt the aching in her hand. Shepard laughed and walked out of the med bay towards the elevator.

...

He carried Tali over to his bed, never once breaking his gaze from her eyes. He laid her down gently across the bed and pulled the sheets up over her. Tali grasped the hand she had used to hit Shepard and rubbed it gently. It still throbbed with pain.

"Allow me my lady." Shepard grabbed her hand and slowly leaned in to place a soft kiss on her glove.

"Once I'm finished attending to the many unimportant things...I'll be back to attend to the one important thing in my life." He said putting his hand on her leg. Tali tried to giggle but it only came out as a series of coughs which she quickly shrugged off as Shepard planted one last kiss on her visor.

"Get some rest Miss vas Normandy-"

"Captain's orders." She interrupted with a sniffle. Shepard smiled and then turned to walk towards to the door. It opened and he looked back once more and smiled at her. She waved at him and let out a single cough before he turned back to the door and walked out.

Arriving back down in the crew deck, he walked over to the table to sit down. Gardner brought him a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and buttered toast. He griped his fork and prepared to enjoy himself when Garrus sat down on the opposite side of the table; a datapad in his hand.

"Sleep well?" The Turian asked.

"You could say that." Shepard replied as he scooped up the eggs and took a mouth full. "What do you got there?" He asked with his mouth still full of food.

"Was hoping you'd ask." Garrus laid the datapad on the table and flipped it around. "I was going through some of the data EDI managed to decrypt while you were sleeping. Recognize him?" Shepard picked up the datapad with his free hand and took a good look. There was an image of a old man. Bald on top with grey hair covering the sides of his head.

"Isn't that-" She started to say. Garrus crossed his arms.

"The Hand of God? Yeah, his real name is Doctor David Kindeler. He was the lead researcher aboard the Bermuda and head of something called Project Black heart." Shepard's eyes met Garrus' as the turian continued. "Guy had quite a nack for micro-biology, physics, chemisty, you name it."

Shepard looked at the image for a moment and then back at Garrus. "I remember him having a lot less hair though." said the Spectre. Garrus leaned forward.

"The strange thing is his background showed no history of mental illness in himself or his family. Not even a spec of clinical depression. The guy was totally sane despite being religious. It's as if he just... cracked." Shepard scrolled through the bits of data.

"What is project Black-heart?" he asked as he handed the datapad back to Garrus.

"Dunno... But I bet the answer is in the data yet to be decrypted. I'd guess it has something to do with the Illusive man's toy up in the lab. Mordin hasn't slept since he started examining it." Garrus replied.

Shepard finished his breakfast and looked down at his plate, drowned in thought. "How's Grunt?" He asked after a moment. Garrus stood up.

"Don't think I wanna know. But if I were you I'd get us to Tuchanka asap and get this whole fighting business dealt with so he can be back to his cute and cuddly self again... Not that he ever was that way before..."

"That much confidence in me huh?" Shepard said with a chuckle.

"If you can take on a giant human-shaped reaper then one tank bred Krogan should be a cupcake." Garrus winked at Shepard and then got up and headed for the main battery. Shepard just sat for a few moments resting his chin on his right arm as he thought about Grunt. Maybe there was still time to change his mind before they decided to go through with his plan to duel on Tuchanka. Maybe he could convince him just like he convinced Wrex. He had to try. There was always an alternative.

Shepard sat up quickly nearly stumbling over the seat and left the crew deck to head down to engineering. The elevator ride down seemed to take hours. He took a deep breath as he kept telling himself what he had to do. If he could turn him around, solve this problem without violence, he wouldn't have to put Tali through so much torment. He wished there was no violence in the universe. No mercs, no Reapers, and especially no insane, blood thirsty, eye gouging, gut ripping Krogan.

Finally he was there. Exiting the elevator he glanced over at the hatch leading into the tankbred Krogan's room. He tried to think of something persuasive to say, something similar to what he told Wrex, but nothing came to mind. He would have to just say what needed to be said. So he continued toward his destination. He stopped just inches away from the green hologram that was the door control.

"_How do I know he wont kill me the second the door opens" _he thought. He reached for his gun holster and griped his pistol, ready to draw it at a moments notice.

The door opened and Shepard saw what he didn't expect. Everything was in order. No dented walls, no shattered glass, excluding the broken window Grunt had punched a hole through days earlier. The Krogan was standing. Just...standing there without moving a muscle. Gazing through the window down into the cargo bay. The only sign of life came from the blinking of his eyes.

"Are you sure you still wanna go through with this? There's nothing I can say to change your mind?" Shepard griped his pistol tighter after speaking, expecting the Krogan to swing his fist or simply charge him into the wall, but he remained motionless.

"My body demands battle. Therefore... battle is the only thing that will clear this haze..." Grunt replied calmly. Shepard removed his hand from the grip of his pistol seeing that his caution wasn't necessary.

"You know I love Tali... I made a promise to her... That I'd never leave her. If we do this, I won't hesitate to kill you." Grunt turned to Shepard with a snort.

"Love is an illusion, a ruse. Something made up to bring understanding to a feeble emotional sensation. It has no meaning. It is a weakness and will only make you that much more fragile." Shepard's eyes shut and he turned to leave.

"I feel sorry for you... I really do..." The Spectre said just as the door shut behind him. Grunt chuckled at what Shepard had said. Ignoring it and returning to his pointless stare out at the Normandy's cargo bay.

Shepard roughly ran both hands threw his shaved head. Frustration built up inside him until he vented it by slamming a fist into the wall next to him.

"Dammit!" He shouted. What if he failed? He would break his promise. He couldn't bare the thought of Tali enduring such sorrow. Not again. The thought was worse than any physical pain. Worse than the pain he felt when he felt when he suffocated to death after the Collectors destroyed the first Normandy.

What Grunt said was wrong. Love doesn't make you weaker, it makes you stronger. It makes you fight all that much harder for your loved ones. Even if he had to rip the Krogan's two hearts out, he would do it knowing that he was keeping his promise. It was time they finally settled this. No more delays.

Shepard activated his comm link. "Joker, plot the course for Tuchanka... It's time." There was a second of silence. Joker didn't want to hear that.

"You got it, commander... Plotting course. Hope you're ready for this." Shepard could hear the concern in his voice. It only made him feel worse. Maybe checking in on Ken and Gabby would help him feel better. One of Ken's smart ass jokes sometimes cheered him up. He didn't really feel like lifting his spirits at the moment, but he knew it was what he needed.

He lazily stepped through the hatch to find them both at work. "Hey Shepard! Things have been getting done real slow like without our chief engineer." Ken said with a shrug. Shepard smiled.

"She's not feeling too well. No more than 48 hours and she'll be back on her six toes." Shepard replied. Ken proceeded to roll his eyes.

"Sick huh? More like playin; hooky-Ouch!" Gabby stomped on Ken's foot causing him to immediately change his tone. "I mean uh, I hope she gets well soon. Poor Tali." Shepard just grinned knowing full well he was only joking. Anyone that didn't know him well would have taken it the wrong way. He glanced over at Tali's terminal, imagining her standing over the console typing away commands at light speed. It made him chuckle at the thought.

"Something funny commander?" Ken asked.

"Nothing. Carry on." Shepard replied as he left for the elevator. He wanted to go talk with Tali until they arrived at Tuchanka. She was probably worried even though she didn't show it. But that just meant she didn't want Shepard to feel bad for her. So selfless he thought. She'd treat a broken leg like a paper cut just to keep him from getting upset.

...

Tali lay elegantly in his bed with one leg bent inward. She was apparently passing the time by watching Fleet & Flotilla on the holo-screen Shepard had set up just above the bed. She turned it off when Shepard approached the bed and coughed quietly.

"Shepard? Are you...alright?" Her voice was hesitant. She knew what he was thinking about when she saw the worry in his expression. Though she didn't bring it up. So...so selfless. He didn't want to tell her they were headed to Tuchanka. Not in her weakened state.

"I am now." His expression instantly turned to happiness when he sat down on the side of the bed next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You miss me already?" she said with a sniffle. Shepard lay down next to her and he reached his arm behind her head, bringing it up on his shoulder as he climbed in bed and laid down next to her.

"I've got nothing but time for you Miss Vas Normandy." Shepard turned the holo-screen back on and began to watch the romantic vid with her as they lay comfortably next to each other.


	10. Ch10: Feud

Shepard lay in bed next to Tali, still watching Fleet and Flotilla. It was on the final scene where the Turian male confesses his love for the Quarian girl he loves. Shepard cocked his head towards Tali who had her head on his shoulder. It was truly heart warming to watch. Anyone who loved a Quarian he thought, truly loved them for the right reasons. They could never enjoy their relationships the way others could. Every kiss, every touch, it all had to be performed with care. Maybe Quarian immune systems aren't as much of a curse as they think. When a Quarian finds a mate, they always find someone decent, someone who loves them for who they are underneath the suit. Not for trivial bodily lust.

As the credits rolled Shepard stared into Tali's visor. Her luminous eyes could not be seen so he assumed she had fallen asleep. He lay next to her for a little while longer just to listen to her heartbeat and shallow breathing. Her heart beat so slowly as she dwell in her undisturbed slumber. He also noticed that her breathing was far less ragged than it was earlier. The medicine must have taken affect. Doctor Chakwas truly was a "Miracle Worker."

The Spectre gently folded her hands over her belly and then slowly and quietly climbed out of bed. He watched her sleep for a few more moments as he stood at the side of the bed and then knelt down to give her a single soft pat on the shoulder. She reacted by rolling over on her side and moaning a few words in her sleep that he couldn't make out. Though he was sure that one of them sounded like his name. He held back a chuckle as he smiled genuinely and tip-toed his way to the cabin door. Before he could wave his hand over the holographic display it opened to reveal Legion standing outside of it.

"Shepa-" Shepard put his index finger in front of his lips.

"Shh." He shushed the loud mouthed synthetic. Legion peered over Shepard's shoulder and noticed Tali roll over again in her sleep. A single face plate lifted on the right side of its head. Probably the Geth way of raising an eyebrow. Shepard stepped out letting the hatch close behind him.

"You have something to report?" he asked impatiently.

"Moreu-Lieutenant sent us to request your presense in the helm. We are currently eight minutes and forty-two seconds from arriving at Tuchanka." Shepard gained a more authoritive stance.

"Lets go."

...

Shepard arrived at the helm and saw Joker playing a vid game or something on the screen in front of him. From the images he could see, they we're playing a holographic card game. He listened in on them as he continued to walk towards them.

"Do you have any sixes Jeff?" EDI asked. Apparently they were playing Go-fish. Were they that bored?

"Damn..." Joker mumbled as he tapped a button on the control panel. He was down to 2 cards. "Any sevens?" Joker sounded annoyed.

"Go-fish" EDI said, still as emotionless as ever.

"Bullshit! I call shenangins on that one." He blurted out.

"The game is completely fair Jeff. If you can not bear to lose then you shouldn't have suggested this game in the first place." Joker leaned back and threw his arms in front of him.

"I can handle losing just fine! But that's like the only number left I could possibly call out and you still have more than 5 cards! How do I know your not hacking the game!"

"You do not Jeff, and I prefer it that way. I can now see why you humans are so fond of cheating." Joker's jaw dropped.

"Are you-like-really-I mean-" he began to stutter. EDI then interrupted.

"That was a joke."

Shepard came walking up behind Joker. "I'd ask if everything was going well up here, but I guess I've accepted that there is nothing you two can't bicker about" the Spectre said with a brief smirk. Joker spun around in his chair.

"Bickering! I got cheated by an AI at Go-fish! I might as well punch myself in the face!"

"With your condition Jeff, causing self-harm to your face could fracture your nose." said the AI with a slight tone of concern.

"And acts like my mother! I swear, if her and Legion ever have kiddie AI's I won't hestitate to delete their asses!"

Shepard laughed and finished with a grin. "Speaking of Legion, he tells me we're almost at Tuchanka." he said moving closer to Joker's chair.

"Yeah, two minutes out, commander. Might wanna let Grump the grumpy Krogan know. I bet he's just waiting for an excuse to tear us all a new one."

Shepard activated his comm. "Grunt, if your listening, we're less than two minutes out from Tuchanka. If you need to grab anything, now is your last chance." As Shepard closed the link, Tali walked up behind him.

"I'm going with you Shepard." Tali was almost leaning forward in her stance. Obviously her joints still ached slightly. Shepard brought himself close to her.

"Absolutely not Tali. Tuchanka isn't exactly the cleanest or most civil of worlds, and with you being sick and all-"

"My enviro-suit is fully repaired and the anti-biotics Doctor Chawkwas gave me are easing my symptoms. I'm not going to sit here and wait for the worst. I want to be there with you." Shepard looked to Legion who was standing next to her as if expecting it to say something.

"We have no opinion." it said. He cursed to himself wondering why he would even think it would. He then moved closer to Tali and planted both hands on each of her shoulders.

"If I hear so much as a wheaze out of you, your coming straight back here. Understood Miss Vas Normandy?" Tali nodded then tilted her body to the side and placed her hand on her hip.

"I love it when you call me that." she whispered seductively. "It is terribly...what is word? Sexy?" Somehow Joker managed to overhear it.

"I'm sitting right here! You know you have a private cabin for that right?"

"Shut up Joker! It's not like you and EDI don't share the same conversations." Tali exlaimed as Shepard held her close.

"Indeed we do" the AI said. Joker turned his seat toward the holographic projection of EDI.

"You know I hate you right?"

"Love you too, Jeff." replied EDI. Joker's eyes rolled up into his head. "That was a joke, Jeff."

...

"The fuck am I an supposed to do with half a gram!" Jack yelled at the shady human.

"Shh! Jesus shut up! That's for you to figure out lady!" Jack threw the small bag of red sand over her shoulder and moved closer to the man. "Gimme half a killo." The man winced and stepped back.

"Hey, I sell by the gram! Don't like it, there's plenty of other guys in the business! Shouldn't be hard to get hooked up with it being legal here on Illium." Jack's eyes filled with anger.

"I'll make you the deal of your life. You give me half a killo, or I make you half a man." The man chuckled.

"Really? I'd like to tha-" Jack's fist blazed with biotic energy as she grabed his crotch and squeezed.

"What was that?" she said smiling deviously.

"I-I'll give it! J-Just let go!" He struggled to speak as the pain jolted through his body. Jack released him and he fell to the ground curling in the fetal position and groaning. Jack knelt down over him and reached into his coat to pull out a large bag containing more than half a killo of red sand.

"That's what happens when you sell this shit without a liscense ass hole." Jack left him on the ground in the dark alley somewhere in Nos Astra and walked back to the hotel.

...

When she arrived in her room, she poured out the grains of the drug onto a table and rolled a piece of paper. She gasped when she heard someone whisper her name from a dark corner in her room.

"Jack." The figure said stepping out of the shadows.

"Shit! The fuck you want frog boy?" Thane walked closer and glanced at the red sand she had poured onto the table.

"I...wouldn't have taken you for an addict. Though I cannot say I'm surprised..." Jack turned her head away from him.

"What do you care? Besides, I needed something to relax. And my lip still hurts like hell." Thane moved closer and took a seat on the sofa across from her.

"I've killed many people in my life. It...when you watch someone die, you see their final thoughts. The emotions in their eyes. You could say it has tought me to...read people. And I would say that you are troubled." Jack lowered her head.

"So what if I am?" she retorted. The assassin leaned forward in his seat.

"You are worried for Shepard." he concluded.

"Yeah. What's it to you?" Thane shook his head.

"It is not a weakness to share ones feelings with another. The burden becomes lighter when more than one carry it on their shoulders." Jack didn't answer. She seemed embarrassed. She thought about how Shepard had saved her on the Purgatory and helped her overcome her past on Pragia. No one else ever cared about her like that. No one cared for a murderous, psychotic bitch she thought. Why did she even buy-err-steel the red sand in the first place?

"OK, OK... I'm worried about Shepard dying and all... Now will you leave me alone?" Thane stood up from his seat and walked towards the door.

"You are not alone..." The drell said silently stepping through the door. Jack gazed down at the grains of the narcotic still sitting on the table as her body began to tremble. In a fit of anger she flipped the table and then covered her face with both hands.

"_The hell is wrong with me..."_

...

Shepard, Tali, Garrus, Legion, and Grunt had all taken the Kodiak shuttle and landed on Tuchanka in the same place they did weeks before. Shepard never let go of Tali's hand even when stepping off the shuttle. He held it tight, fearing she could stumble over or even feint from her sickness. She told him she was fine, but Shepard insisted so she accepted it anyway.

The Krogan recruiter for the Blood pack mercenaries was standing in his usual spot, glaring at them as they walked down the steps. The Urdnot guards at the main gate recognized Grunt and his human battle-master on sight and stepped aside to let them through. They continued down the next hallway and passed two Krogan whispering among themselves, admiring the one and only Urdnot Grunt and his battle-master Shepard for their previous victory over the thresher maw during Grunt's rite of passage.

When they came to the final gate, Shepard waved his hand over the holo-display and it slid open revealing the large room where the "Throne" of the Chief of Urdnot sat. Nothing seemed any different from their last visit. There wasn't an intact structure in sight. Piles of rubble sat on more piles of rubble. The sun shone through the large holes in the ceiling and the smell of dead Varren from the gambling pit reaked. The Spectre and his team gazed straight ahead and walked over to the seat of the Chief. They were surprised to see a Krogan with a green colored head plate sitting where they expected to see Wrex. Upon noticing them, the Krogan leaned forward in his seat and looked over their bodies as if he had never seen so many aliens in one group before, much less a single Geth platform.

"What is your business here on Tuchanka human?" The way he put emphasis on the word "human" was as if he knew who he was but mocked him by calling him by his species name.

"My-" Shepard took a brief glance at Grunt, "Our bunsiness is with Urdnot Wrex." The Krogan shooed them away with his hand.

"Begone aliens! The chief of Urdnot is in talks. He has no time for dealings with your kind!" Shepard firmly put one foot in front of the other.

"Who the hell do you think you are anyway?" The Krogan growled.

"You dare defy Urdnot-"

"Wreav..." A Krogan with a red colored head plate said as he came around the corner. Shepard recognized him immediately but kept silent to see what happened next.

"Keeping my seat warm for me, brother?" Wreav got up from his seat and growled quietly as he walked over to the side of the throne. Wrex watched him with anger in his eyes then turned to Shepard and smiled.

"Shepard!" Shepard immediately walked up to Wrex and grinned as they shook each others hands out of respect for one another.

"Shepard you squishy human! Come to visit me on this trash can once again, eh?" They released each others hands and Shepard got straight down to business.

"I'm afraid I didn't come here to visit, Wrex. I was wondering if me and Grunt could use the rite grounds for a while." Wrex glanced at Grunt.

"I see... You wish to challenge your battle-master whelp?" Shepard seemed a little surprised that he knew what was going on.

"That easy to tell, huh?" Shepard asked. Wrex turned around and took his seat.

"I can smell his blood boil from here. He can't wait to tear you in half." Wrex replied.

"Good to know. So, you mind?" Shepard asked, Wrex leaned back in his seat and layed his arms out across his legs.

"The perfect Krogan versus the savior of the citadel... Brutal stuff... You have my permission to use the rite grounds."

"Brother, I must protest! Tradition begs that they duel in the Grinder!" Wreav interjected. Wrex snorted and gave a quick glare at his brother.

"Unfortunately he's right. If you want to battle, it has to be in the Grinder."

"Grinder?" Shepard questioned.

"The Grinder is a massive colisuem. One of our oldest arenas. Only the bloodiest of duels have been fought there. Mostly for control of a clan but rarely a warrior against his own battle-master. Krogan from everywhere will be there. You could say it's our favorite sport."

Shepard turned to Tali and stared into her eyes for a moment. She nodded and he turned back to Wrex. "We'll do it."

"Good, speak to the Shaman and he'll make the arrangements. Wreav, gather the clans in the coliseum."Wreav turned and walked away as Shepard and his team began to walk towards the stairs leading to the Shaman's chamber. The rest of his team had walked ahead of him and Wrex grabed him by the arm from behind.

"Shepard."

"Wrex?" Shepard said turning to face his old friend.

"This duel will be to the death. I hope you came here expecting this." said Wrex. Shepard nodded. "You havn't changed Shepard. Thats good. Hopefully that attitude will give you an edge. A Krogan pumped with blood rage, especially the supposed perfect one, is a challenge only a fool would undertake."

Shepard placed his hand on Wrex's shoulder. "Thanks, but being a fool is what helped me save this galaxy twice. Should be enough to help me with one Krogan." Wrex smiled.

"We'll see Shepard. We'll see..."


	11. Ch11: Gladiator Pt1

Shepard had begun his walk up the stairs with his team. Wrex had already taken a vehicle and was on his way to the coliseum or "Grinder," as the Krogan called it. Taking the last few steps up the stairs, the Spectre overheared a pair of Blood pack Krogan whispering amongst themselves. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but the looks on their faces implied they were up to no good. The two Krogan soon noticed him glaring at them and the two walked away, eyes narrowed. Shepard kept his gaze on them and leaned to the side to speak with Legion.

"I want you to watch the shuttle while I take care of this. The locals seem to have a...hidden agenda..." Legion nodded.

"Acknowledged." With that the lone Geth headed back down the stairs toward the landing bay. Shepard glanced at the rest of his team who only nodded in agreement, minus one particular Krogan seeming as impatient as ever. When they rounded the corner, the Shaman noticed them and broke from his talks with the female Krogan emissary, Nartoth.

"Shepard! I hope you track new and fresh blood beneath your boots!" he said as the Spectre and his team approached.

"I'm hoping I won't have to anytime soon, but that seems inevitable at the moment." Shepard replied. The Shaman turned his head to look down upon the chief's throne and then back to Shepard.

"Indeed. You are to battle Urdnot Grunt in the Grinder..." said the Shaman.

"Seems you don't miss a thing that goes on around here." said Shepard. The Shaman smiled.

"My ears pay special attention to the talks of the chief, Shepard." replied the Shaman. Grunt took two steps forward and only glared at the Shaman.

"I see your patience is wearing thin Urdnot Grunt. You will have your blood soon." He turned to Shepard.

"The rules of the Grinder are simple: Two rounds. Round one, you will use one weapon of your choice and the equipment you carry on your backs. Round two begins after 5 minutes in which you will discard your weaponry and equipment and fight to the death... Hand to hand..." A lump grew in Shepard's throat and his heart began to race, not out of fear of death, but fear for his promise to his love...

The Shaman spoke again. "You are both to depart immediately in separate transports. We wouldn't want either of you to have any broken bones before the fight." The Shaman finished with a smile.

"What about the rest of my team?" Shepard said turning to each of his friends taking an extra long look at Tali.

"They are welcome to spectate. That is, if their squishy alien stomachs can handle it." The Shaman replied. Tali grabbed Shepard's hand and looked into his eyes.

"I'll follow you wherever you go..." She said in a very soft, yet serious tone. The Shaman widened one of his eyes, surprised to see a quarian show such concern for a human, he didn't have trouble figuring out what it meant. But unlike most aliens he didn't offer his "opinion" of their relationship.

"I'm coming too commander." said Garrus as he stepped forward with his head turned to Shepard. The Shaman raised his arms in excitement.

"Then all is ready! The scout leadre will have a Tomkah ready and waiting for you. Fight well Shepard and Urdnot Grunt."

...

There they sat inside the Tomkah truck. The ride was rough, bumpy, and quiet. The inside was dark and the hum of the engine was the only sound heard besides the Krogan driver occasionally mumbling to himself but the words were inaudible. Shepard leaned forward in his seat, both hands laced together tightly. The more he thought about the upcoming battle the more nervous he became. His leg began to tremble as he looked over at Tali who was sitting next to him. She noticed this and scooted closer to him, placing both her hands in his.

"I know you Shepard. You don't break your promises..." Shepard looked away, trying to hold back tears. The sight of her eyes was too much.

"Funny, I thought you'd be the one needing comfort right now." he replied. Tali responded by tightening her grip on his hands in a gesture of affection. Shepard smiled genuinely and said.

"You're stronger than I ever will be..." whispered Shepard, bringing one of her hands up and kissing it softly. Garrus dropped his head, feeling worthless. He wished he could follow his commander into the upcoming fight. He would gladly die for him if it meant Shepard could have his happily ever after with Tali.

"2 minutes!" yelled the driver up front. Shepard peaked out the window as the Tomkah began to decelerate slightly. The dust storm began to clear and he could make out an incredibly massive structure. It was similar to Roman architecture but with a Krogan touch to it. Carved spikes of stone covered the walls all around it and from what he could see, it was at least at least 20 stories high. He could see hundreds of Krogan lined up and entering the front gate in a single file line. Some of them engaging in brawls for a spot.

The Tomkah circled around the back of the coliseum and halted in front of a large gate. Two Krogan guards armed with assault rifles approached the driver and asked for his clearance code. Their conversation was brief and they walked back to their post and opened the gate, allowing the driver to pull the Tomkah inside the large garage.

"This is your stop! Give em' hell! I've got 3000 credits on you!" The driver yelled. It felt good to know that he was greatly admired among the Urdnot clan. Although it wouldn't help him in the battle so the thought was quickly dismissed. Shepard exited the vehicle first with Tali and Garrus following one at a time. Wrex was already waiting for them in the garage and walked towards them with two armed guards escorting him.

"You've drawn quite a crowed, Shepard. Thousands of Krogan from clans everywhere have come to observe the coming blood bath." The Krogan battle-master said with great enthusiasm.

"Hate to disappoint them, but I'm hoping it won't end up like that." Shepard replied. Wrex looked at him with a blank stare for a while then turned to each of his guards and gave an authoritative bark. The guards left his side. Wrex moved closer to Shepard and spoke quietly.

"As much as I'd love to see a duel between two of the most powerful beings ever to set foot on this planet, I despise this situation..." Shepard felt very surprised to hear this from someone like Wrex.

Wrex continued. "I saw the rage in his eyes Shepard. I smelled the fury in his blood. The Rite is meant to help Krogan learn to control their blood rage, to allow them to channel it. But the whelp has not learned, he has not overcome his impulses..."

"Wrex?" Shepard said with concern.

"If we do not learn to control the blood rage we live our whole lives with, if we let it make every choice for us, then what are we Shepard? We would be no better than animals..."

"Wrex..." Shepard had never seen this side of Wrex before.

"Shepard, I do not think there is hope for the whelp. Killing him seems to be the only option..." Shepard dropped his head and nodded with a frown on his lips. Suddenly they heard the sound of Krogan horns blowing in the coliseum outside. Wrex looked over his shoulder and then looked back at Shepard.

"It's time. Go, fight, and win, Shepard." He then looked at Garrus and Tali. "The two of you will join me in the chiefs balcony." Shepard motioned for his team to go with Wrex. They began to walk away but when Tali was no more than 10 feet away from him, she halted then spun around quickly and ran into Shepard's arms. They embraced each other for a minute before she backed away, blew a kiss at him, and continued to follow Wrex. Shepard stood at a loss for words. The guards that Wrex had dismissed came walking over to him and motioned for him to follow. They walked into the next room which appeared to be an armory.

"Choose your weapon..." One of the guards growled. Shepard scanned the room. Weapon racks hung on every wall. Shotguns, assault rifles, rocket launchers. Everything that could cause death and destruction was in the room. He walked over to the wall and grabbed a simple M-8 Avenger rifle off the wall, deciding that the weapon he had spent the most time with was the best choice. He was then lead into a small room where could see day light through the cracks in the door in front of him. It was about to begin...

...

"I said one weapon!" The guard yelled seeing Grunt grab two Claymore heavy shotguns off the wall. Grunt responded by simply bashing the guard in the head with the but-stock of one of his shotguns. The other guard just backed off and let Grunt leave the armory regardless of him violating the rules. But this was Tuchanka and Krogan rarely played by them.

...

Wrex walked out onto a balcony on the highest point of the stadium. Garrus and Tali stood on each side of him, Tali wringing her hands together nervously. They gazed upon the crowds that sat everywhere on the many levels of the coliseum. Thunderous roars and cheers echoed throughout the structure. They demanded the shedding of blood. Wrex stepped up to the edge of the balcony where all the crowds could see him and with a wave of his hand, he brought silence to the crowds. Wreav took his place behind his brother.

"Brothers!" Wrex shouted. "Today...you all bear witness...to one of the greatest duels in Krogan history! For all generations to come will remember this moment!" Wrex pointed his finger at one end of the battle grounds. A large door opened and Shepard stepped out into the light where all could see him. Wrex then pointed at the other end of the grounds where another door opened and Grunt slowly stomped his way out, lifting both his Shotguns in the air. The crowds cheered again but with more ferocity.

Shepard scanned the battlefield to learn its tactical advantages and disadvantages. Stone pillars and piles of rubble covered the sandy grounds. Spears and pieces of other ancient weapons littered the area. There were many places to take cover. He narrowed his eyes at the Krogan on the other end of the field and Grunt did the same back to him. They were ready for whatever was to come. They both moved closer to center of the battlefield still keeping quite a distance from one another. Wrex glanced at both of them and then raised both arms high into the air and gave a deafening roar. The battle had begun...

...

"What if he wins and kills the tank-bred?" A decorated Blood pack Krogan said to the human clad in Blue suns armor.

"Even if he does he'll take quite a beating in the process. Thats when we'll finish him off. Of course, I wouldn't mind the tank-bred saving me the trouble..." The Krogan lieutenant turned to face his guards as the human stared into the monitors with a sly smile on his face.

"He's caused both our groups enough damage! Today he will regret being born!"

The human turned around in his chair. "Today...he regrets the day he ever fucked with Vido Santiago..."


	12. Ch12: Gladiator Pt2

The sound of Krogan horns filled the air as the crowds roared; Unable to contain their excitement for the battle of the century. Tali, Garrus, and Wrex all watched from the highest point of the coliseum, gazing down at the human and tank-bred Krogan about to break each others bodies in ways they couldn't imagine.

Shepard slowly reached for the M-8 Avenger Assault rifle on his back as Grunt just glared at him from the other end of field.

"_Come on...you first..."_ he thought to himself. He had fought many battles alogside Grunt but had never seen him at his angriest. He would be unpredictable this time and he knew that making the first move would be a mistake on his part.

Grunt smirked which caught Shepard by surprise. The Krogan slowly placed both shotguns on his back and then planted his feet firmly in the ground. Shepard took aim, ready for anything. Grunt kicked back the dirt with one foot like a raging bull and then began to charge. Shepard reacted instantly and began to fire continuously. The shots were only deflected by his Fortification barrier and the rest whizzed straight past him. He ceased fire and grabbed a sticky grenade from his belt. He waited for Grunt to come close enough then threw the grenade straight at him, sticking it to his leg. The Spectre dove to the side as Grunt flew past him and ran straight through a stone pillar causing a cloud of dust to emerge followed by an explosion.

Shepard rose to his feet and stared at the sight as if expecting something. He was right to do so. Grunt came charging out of the smoke cloud straight at him. Shepard dove once again to the side and then began to run in the same direction as the Krogan while firing his rifle. Grunt grabbed both shotguns off his back while still in his sprint and fired heavy slugs repeatedly. This fight lasted a few moments and then Grunt changed the direction of his charge back towards him. The human ran straight at him with equal speed and when he was mere feet away from him, leaped into the air doing a front flip straight over Grunt and while still in the air, fired a concussive shot into the Krogans back.

Grunt roared as he was sent flying forward off his feet but upon hitting the ground he only rolled back onto his feet. Now they both stood motionless staring at each other. Shepard felt the heavy sweat run down his brow as he watched a few drops of orange blood run down Grunts nose though Grunt seemed to ignore it.

"That's what happens when you act before you think..." Shepard yelled. Grunt only smiled which gave Shepard an instant frown. He knew he was planning something mischievous. Grunt suddenly lifted both his shotguns at Shepard and then fired a concussive round from each simultaneously. Shepard managed to dodge both as they flew past him and impacted into the coliseum wall, nearly hitting the spectators. He redirected his gaze to where Grunt was but was only met with the sight of the Krogan charging toward him from less than 10 feet away. Shepard dove to the side once again but he wasn't quick enough. Grunt's charge clipped his shoulder causing it to come out of its socket as Shepard impacted on a pile of rubble.

"Shepard!" Tali yelled reaching her hand out as if to help him. Garrus leaned over the balcony watching in horror.

"Come on Shepard! Get up!" yelled the Turian. Grunt skidded as he turned to see Shepard lying on the ground with his back against a pile of rubble. Shepard reached over to grab his shoulder as his felt the immense pain course through it.

"_That's the last time I give him any advice..._AAGH!" He yelled popping his shoulder back into to place.

"And I guess that's what happens when I do think before I act?" Grunt said chuckling at his malevolent sense of humor. Shepard clenched his teeth and recovered. Grunt then grabbed a smoke grenade from his leg armor's compartment and threw it in the center of the field between them. The black haze covered the field in seconds, even the spectators couldn't see them. Tali and Garrus gasped but Wrex only grew a curious expression on his face. Shepard aimed down the iron sights of his weapon and prepared to fire. A heavy shotgun slug impacted his shield causing him to stumble back. He regained his footing and fired two controlled bursts into the cloud hoping to hit his opponent but to no avail. A moment later another slug hit him, then another, shattering his shield. He had to find cover. He dove behind a nearby pillar and reloaded his rifle while checking himself for wounds. He found that one blast had grazed his side badly but not enough to be fatal. The smoke finally cleared and Shepard leaned out of cover at where Grunt was only to find that he was gone.

"Where are you..." he whispered.

"Right here..." A voice replied from behind. Shepard spun around bringing his rifle with him only to meet the butt stock of a Krogan shotgun to his face. He bit his lip and stumbled back. Grunt took another swing but Shepard blocked it with his rifle leaving them at a stalemate for only a second when the Krogan lifted his foot and kicked him in the chest sending him flying backwards. Shepard rolled behind another pillar.

"Hahaha! I've fought by you Shepard! I know every move you could possibly make! There isn't a thing I haven't learned from you!" Grunt said taking a few steps forward.

"Yeah..." Shepard whispered. "Except this one!" Shepard rose to his feet and fired a concussive shot at the base of the pillar and then kicked it forward. Grunt looked up in shock to see the the large object falling straight towards him. He didn't run, he didn't even flinch. He only watched until the pillar finally crushed him under it.

"Keelah!" exclaimed Tali as she watched the dust rise up from the crumbling stone.

"Now that's thinking with your head Shepard!" cheered Garrus. The crowed fell silent and Shepard walked over to the site feeling relief and sadness at the same time as he gazed upon it for moment. Suddenly three metal spires rose up from under the ground in the enter of the field and began to glow with energy. Shepard nearly fell back when an EMP wave flew across the entire field.

...

A Turian clad in blue suns armor with a M-92 Mantis sniper in hand crawled up the wall of the Coliseum and took up a sniping position on the highest point directly above the balcony below where Wrex , Garrus, and Tali stood.

"This is Cobra 2-4, in position. Have a clear shot at the target" he whispered. Vido, who was monitoring the situation on the feed in front of him, responded.

"Don't move a finger until I tell you!"

...

Garrus turned to Wrex, "What the hell was that?" Wrex took a step forward but kept his gaze on the battlefield.

"Round two..."

Shepard looked down at his rifle to see it sparking. He tried pulling the trigger but was met with the clicking of metal and malfunctioning electronics. He threw his rifle to the side and then wiped the blood from his lip. Just then the crumbled pillar laying on its side exploded. The dust covered his eyes as rocks flew past him. Shepard's jaw dropped when the dust cleared to reveal Grunt standing atop the rubble, unharmed by the crushing blow of the pillar except for the many bruises that covered his body.

Grunt roared loudly and leaped at Shepard with his fist drawn out in front of him. Shepard quickly grabbed his nearby rifle off the ground and used it to block the incoming punch. The Krogan's fist ended up breaking the rifle in half and striking him in the chest. However, it softened the blow just enough to cause him to stagger backwards rather than be sent through the air like a pebble. Grunt continued his rampage, throwing punches wildly. Shepard continuously dodged and blocked each one with both arms. Grunt became irritated and then threw both fists foward at once. The Spectre grabbed both his arms before they could hit and then kicked Grunt in the crotch as hard as he could. Grunt let out a quiet squeal and as both his hands shielded his wounded area, headbutted Shepard in the face causing him to fall on his back. While Grunt winced in pain Shepard crawled backward and then rose to his feet and entered a battle stance. Grunt glared at him, teeth clinched in anger. Shepard held his ground waiting for his next move.

"I'll make you into a female for that!" The Krogan roared. He began to charge. Shepard turned around and ran as fast as he could away from him. He noticed a large spear stuck perfectly in the ground ahead of him and ran towards it. With both hands, the Spectre gripped the spear and used the speed and force of his body to swing himself around and strike the Krogan in the head both legs. Grunt fell over and rolled sideways. His body came to a stop in the sand.

"Is this really worth it?" Shepard said spitting the blood from his mouth and panting. "All this just to satisfy your addiction to your rage?" Grunt lifted his head and gazed at him as he continued speaking. "Have you learned nothing from everything we've been through? What are you? An animal?" Grunt's heart began to beat faster and faster as the rage built up inside him. His eyes almost set ablaze and he slowly lifted himself to his feet.

"I...am...KROGAAAAN!" Grunt roared with a ferocity unheard of and charged at Shepard once again with a speed not of this universe. He punched Shepard in the chest so hard that he flew back like bullet into a pillar.

Tali gasped and placed both hands over her mouth piece. "Shepard no!" Shepard's body slowly slid to the floor. He tried to get up but felt his spine crack. His back was practically broken. Blood began to pour from his mouth. His breathing became ragged.

Grunt slowly walked over to the broken man. "I followed you...everywhere! You told me you were strong, that your enemies were strong!" Grunt placed his foot on Shepard's chest. "But in the end you are little more than a weak..." He began to press on Shepard's chest, the Spectre cringed and screamed as the pressure began to crush his ribs. "Pathetic..." Grunt pressed harder, Shepard felt his ribs crack. "Squishy..." He pressed even harder and Shepard screamed louder than ever and he felt several ribs break. "HUMAN!" Grunt pressed one final time. Shepard exhaled loudly, feeling the air escape his lungs as his broken ribs impaled his chest from the inside. Grunt backed away to observe the scene for a moment.

"See you in this human hell of yours Shepard..." Grunt whispered as he cocked his fist and aimed at Shepard's head. Suddenly a knife flew into the Krogan's hand stabbing right through his palm.

"RAAGH!" Grunt roared in pain. He turned his head toward the sky to see a certain Quarian floating down to the field with her arms wrapped around her combat drone. She let go when she was about 15 feet from the ground and landed in a battle stance.

"Touch him and you will be one heart short, Krogan Bosh'tet!" Grunt grinned at this new challenge.

"I welcome your attempt at doing so Quarian..." They stared off at each other. Grunt clenched his teeth and fists as he watched her narrow her bright eyes behind her visor.

...

The Blue suns sniper whispered into his radio/ "New target has entered the kill zone sir. Shepard is down but still moving. Request permission to take the shot.

Vido smiled and replied calmly. "Permission denied. Maybe the Krogan can take down more than one for us."

...

Grunt ran at Tali with a fist cocked, ready for a punch. Tali held her ground. Grunt was only a few meters away from her when her combat drone, or known to Tali as "Chitikka," landed in front of him and self-destructed on contact. Grunt was thrown back by the explosion but regained his footing instantly. The blood rage inside him was overwhelming. It demanded a kill, any kill. And he was dead set on granting it one. Tali emerged from the smoke cloud and ran at him. She began kicking him wildly in the chest and face. He walked back slowly as the barrage continued to pound on his body. Tali was confident in her attacks, she had him! Or so she thought. Grunt halted and grabbed her leg in mid-air before it connected with his face. Tali gasped as he smiled. She struggled to free herself but to no avail. Grunt spun her around and threw her into a pillar. The collision nearly knocked her out. When her vision returned she was met with the strong grip of a Krogan hand around her neck. She grabbed at it and tried to pull his large fingers awat from her neck as she flailed her legs around helplessly.

Wrex observed the scene and growled. "This farce has gone on long enough!" Wreav reached for his brother as he stood over the edge of the balcony.

"Wrex, no! You'll ruin everything!" Wrex ignored his brother's plea and jumped straight off the balcony. He fell toward the ground with no way to break his fall but it seemed to not worry him. He hit the ground so hard that one would have thought a meteor had struck the ground. A large cloud of dust emanated from the site. Grunt didn't notice the impact, however, and tightened his grip on the squirming Quarian.

"Once again. Proof that Quarian's really are the weakest aliens in galaxy..." Tali tried to yell but her constricted throat prevented this. An instinct she had grown told her that Shepard would save her, but logically she knew that was impossible. Shepard was barely conscious and couldn't even say her name as he watched her being strangled by the monster that dared to call himself the "perfect" Krogan.

"To believe Shepard loves something more fragile than a pane of glass. Now... I'm going to break you!"

Suddenly Grunt's body glowed blue and he began to float backward into the air causing him to release his grip on Tali. She fell to the ground and coughed raggedly. When she began to catch her breath she lifted her head and couldn't believe what she saw. Wrex. Of all people, Wrex had saved her. The last thing she ever would have expected. He stood firmly with his hand in the air; brimming with biotic energy.

"Fool..." Wrex whispered "You've learned nothing..." Wrex lifted his hand slightly higher and then swung it at the ground. Grunt, still in his biotic prison, was sent slamming into the ground face first.

"Perfect my ass..." Wrex mumbled. He walked slowly over to Grunt who was coughing and trying to lift himself back up. Wrex stomped on his hand as hard as he could, breaking a couple of Grunt's fingers. Grunt roared in pain.

"A true Krogan knows that the blood rage is something to control, to conquer, but you... You have made it your identity! You have no mind of your own! You act on every violent impulse without remorse and regret! The challenges we are to fight on not around us..." Wrex placed a fist over his chest where his two hearts were. "But inside us!" Grunt struggled and looked up at Wrex who looked over his shoulders at the half conscious rag doll that was Shepard, "A certain human taught me that... And you would dare to call them weak!" Wrex increased the pressure which shattered Grunts hand.

"You are not Krogan! You are a mindless beast! And I'm going to put you down like one!" Wrex reached behind his back for his assault rifle and pointed it as Grunt's head. Before he could pull the trigger a tiny three fingered hand grabbed him by the arm. Wrex looked down at Tali who stared back with concern.

"Shepard didn't give up on you back on Virmire... And he wouldn't want us to give up on him." Wrex stared at Grunt with contempt in his eyes. He wanted to shoot this deviant whelp. But Tali was right. He lowered his weapon and nodded in Tali's direction.

...

Vido slammed his fist down on the screen. "Son of a-" He activated his comm. "2-4 Take it! TAKE THE SHOT!" Nothing happened, no shot was fired. "Cobra 2-4 what the fuck are you doing!" A sarcastic voice replied over the comm.

"I'm afraid Cobra 2-4 is on a permanent vacation... In hell." Garrus laughed and listened to the infuriated voice of the Blue suns leader.

"God dammit! All units mobilize! Go, GO!" commanded Vido.


	13. Ch13: Vengeance

"Shepard!" Tali ran to Shepard's side. His broken body lay against a stone pillar. "Shepard..." Tears began to stream down her face. Shepard was clinging to life, blood was pouring out of his mouth. He lifted his arm to touch the side of her helmet but his arm fell back down limp as he continued to slip in and out of consciousness.

The loud humming of engines filled the sky. Tali and Wrex looked to the sky to see drop ships sporting Blur Suns and Blood Pack insignias descending from the clouds. Garrus who still stood at the tip top of the coliseum, was stunned when he noticed the ships. Circular hatches opened under the drop ships and tube-like pods began to fall from the sky and land all around the field. Blood pack Krogan and Vorcha as well as Blue Suns humans, Turians, and Batarians broke out of the pods and began to unleash a hail of bullets. Wrex pulled his assault rifle from his back and fired into the large groups of enemy troops as he stepped back to meet Tali over by Shepard. Tali quickly dragged Shepard's body behind a collapsed pillar for cover. Wrex lifted Grunt over his shoulder and ran to meet them behind it.

...

Vido observed the firefight through his monitor. "Kill Shepard! Annihilate anything that gets in your way!"

...

Wreav watched the scene from the balcony and yelled out to the crowds. "Rise up, brothers! Destroy our enemies!" With that more half of the spectating Krogan were revealed to be carrying concealed weapons of all sorts. The ones on the lower section of the coliseum jumped from their seats to the field below to fire upon the charging mercs. Those without concealed weapons either abandoned the coliseum or made their way down to charge ferociously at the mercs.

Garrus pulled a steel arrow from his pack, connected it to a long cable, and loaded it into his rifle. He sighted down his weapon's scope and took careful aim at the stone pillar in the center of the field where Tali and Wrex were firing blind shots at the mercs. He fired; direct hit! Garrus then took another steel pike and stabbed into the stone which he tied the other end of the cable to. Using a handlebar like object he began to slide down the zip line at an alarming speed. When he was more than halfway down, a Blue Suns sniper caught sight of him and fired a shot directly at the cable causing it to snap. Garrus' mandibles flared as he began to fall from 30 feet in the air. He managed to break his fall with a roll and then dove over a rubble pile into cover with Wrex and Tali.

"You sure took your sweet time, Turian." Wrex said turning at Garrus.

"Sorry, had to take out the trash first." Garrus replied. Wrex turned his attention back to the fight and leaned out of cover to fire off a few bursts which managed to hit a couple of Blue Suns mercenaries in the head.

"Well there's a lot more where that came from!" Wrex said with chuckle. Tali leaned out of cover occasionally to fire pot shots into the squads of mercs that began to turn their attention to two fronts as the many clans of Krogan demolished their forces from behind. However they were quickly replaced by more and more drop ships that flew overhead and dropped in reinforcements. Tali activated a grenade and threw it at a pack of Vorcha on the front line. They screeched in anger just when the grenade exploded sending their bloody giblets flying everywhere. She then knelt down to tend to Shepard.

"Shepard, you have to stay awake!" she exclaimed. Shepard's head moved about trying to respond and stay conscious but his life was fading quickly.

Garrus activated his comm. "Legion we need evac now!" He waited a moment for a response but none was heard. "Legion where the hell are you! It's raining mercs over here!" No response. "Dammit!" Tali turned to Garrus.

"He's not going to make it if we don't get him medical attention right away!" Tali then reached into her pack to pull out a packet of medi-gel. She glazed every wound she could see on Shepard's body but it did little to help the internet injuries. "Hold on Shepard! please hold on!" She cried grabbing his hand and squeezing it hard.

"We can't hold here forever! Those drop ships just keep coming!" Garrus leaned out and sighted down his rifle. He aimed at a Blood pack Krogan who prepared a rocket launcher. Garrus fired one shot at the weapon destroying it. The Krogan roared in anger and then Garrus fired several more shots into the Krogan's head, depleting his shields and piercing his brain. The Krogan fell the ground with blood oozing from the holes in his head and mouth. Suddenly Garrus noticed a figure standing next to him. It was Grunt. The Krogan grabbed Garrus' pistol from his holster with his uninjured hand and began to fire at the advancing mercs. Garrus stared wide eyed in shock at the tank-bred. Grunt then yelled in his face.

"Are you just gonna sit there? Get the Normandy to do something about those drop ships!"

Garrus broke from his trance to contact the Normandy.

"Joker, we're under heavy fire from Blue Suns and Blood Pack mercenaries! Shepard's been hit and we can't evac! These drop ships just keep coming! They're probably being deployed from orbit, can you help us out?"

...

"You copy that, EDI?" Joker said turning to the AI's holo-display.

"I've detected two light cruisers in low orbit over their position. They are deploying more landing craft."

"That must be it! Get us over there and be ready to crack some hull!" The Normandy soared through space to the coordinates. Through the helm windows Joker could make out the shapes of the two cruisers. One sported a Blue Suns insignia while the other was clearly Blood Pack.

"EDI, fire up the Thanix!" Immediately the Blood Pack cruiser, the closer of the two, detected the small frigate began to fire it's side cannons at the Normandy.

"Brace for evasive maneuvers!" Joker yelled. The Normandy performed a series of turns and spins to avoid the large slugs and then changed direction towards the Blood Pack cruiser's bridge.

Joker pounded on the controls. "Take this!" The twin cannons descended from the nose of the Normandy and fired a bright blue beam directly into the ship's bridge. The beam managed to pierce all the way through and out the other end of the ship and then it began an orbital decay as a series of smaller explosions rocked the outside of the hull. Vido, watching from the Blue Suns cruiser, gasped at the sight. "Shit! Break off! Get us into FTL now!" The Blue Suns cruiser began to change direction.

"The other cruiser is retreating Jeff." said EDI.

"Not if I can help it!" Joker quickly turned the Normandy to pursue the vessel but it was too late. They quickly jumped into FTL and vanished from sight.

"Normandy to ground team, problem solved." Joker said over the comm.

"Good work" replied Garrus over the comm.

...

Garrus and Wrex as well as the many clans of Krogan began to mop up the rest of the mercs while Tali struggled to keep Shepard alive. The merc's numbers were being thinned out quickly. The Kodiak shuttle suddenly zoomed over the wall of the coliseum and began a slow descent toward their position. Small arms fire did nothing but dent the hull of the shuttle. When it landed near them the hatch opened and Legion stepped out, firing its rifle at the mercs. It managed to hit a Batarian soldier in the chest and shoulder, dropping him dead.

"Initiating cover fire! Recommend retreat!" Legion stated. Wrex ran over to Tali and shoved her aside. He lifted Shepard onto his shoulder and walked over to the shuttle as Garrus, Tali, and Grunt provided cover fire. When he made it to the shuttle door he handed Shepard over to Legion who layed him on the floor inside the shuttle. Garrus, Tali and Grunt all jumped in but Wrex backed away and continued to fire.

"Get him out of here!" Wrex yelled. Tali leaned out of the hatch.

"We're not leaving you!"

"My place is here! I'm not running from a battle! NOW GO!" Wrex then shoved her back in the shuttle and hit the hatch controls, closing the shuttles hatch. He ran back to cover as he watched to Kodiak disappear into the clouds.

...

Legion piloted the shuttle back to the Normandy while Tali sat in the back knelt down on the floor beside Shepard. Garrus looked in the back compartment of the shuttle and noticed two Blood Pack Krogan tied up and unconscious. He then walked up the cockpit and sat down in the co-pilots chair next to Legion.

"Who are they?" He said pointing to the back of the shuttle.

"Krogan-Blood Pack. They attempted to commandeer the shuttle. We subdued them. We apologize for delay of extraction." Garrus peered into the back to see Tali tending to Shepard. He then turned to the synthetic again.

"If Shepard makes it you won't need to be sorry..."

...

The shuttle flew into the open cargo bay of the Normandy and docked inside. Garrus and Tali held Shepard over their shoulders as they stepped out. Chakwas and Mordin were already waiting with a stretcher. The Doctor scanned him with her omni-tool.

"Several broken ribs. One is protruding into his lung, we need to get him to med bay now!" They rushed Shepard to the crew deck into med bay and layed him across a medical bed. Chakwas immediately went to work.

"Professor! I need your expertise!" She yelled to Mordin who stood at the door of the med bay. He rushed to one side of the bed and Chakwas stood opposite. Shepard began to convulse, the pain was immense. Chakwas grabbed an oxygen mask and placed it over his mouth while Mordin used the surgical laser to cut his chest armor off. When they opened his shirt they were met with the sight of dozens of purple and red bruises. The tip of one rib was also protruding from his chest.

"His lung is collapsing! The air is escaping into his chest!" exclaimed Chakwas. Tali watched from the sideline in horror. She was in complete shock, trembling where she stood as tears blurred her vision.

"We need to patch his lung before..." Chawkwas was interrupted by the rapid beeping of the vitals monitor. Shepard began to convulse harder, struggling to breathe.

"Pulmonary Arrest! He's going into shock!" yelled Chakwas Tali ran over to the bed.

"Shepard!" Mordin shoved her back and Garrus grabbed her by the arms to pull her away. Shepard gave one last jerk and then stopped altogether. The pulse monitor flat lined.

"Defibrillators!" Chakwas yelled. Mordin grabbed a pair from the table and handed them to Chakwas.

"Clear!" She shocked him causing his back to arch as his body jolted. The pulse monitor was quiet for less then a second then again flat lined. Tali fell to her knees and sobbed hard.

"Shepard! Shepard!" She cried.

"Adrenaline!" Mordin handed Doctor Chakwas a syringe. She stabbed it directly into his heart but nothing happened. She lifted the defibrillators again.

"No change. Clear!" She shouted once again. Suddenly the flat line changed to show a pulse but it was rapid. They had to work fast while he remained alive unconscious. Tali looked up at the table and felt slight relief. Garrus lifted her up and walked her out of the med bay while Chakwas and Mordin performed emergency surgery. When they were outside the med bay Tali fell into Garrus' arms and weaped heavily. Garrus held her but didn't say a word. He knew nothing would comfort her. He could only feel useless as she continued to sob uncontrollably.

"He...he promised...he c-can't break his promise..." She whispered into his chest. Garrus began to feel her emotions transferring onto him. It was like they were reliving the day Shepard died two years ago. Garrus was a tough individual. He was able to move past that day easily and get on with his life, but the emotional scaring that affected Tali had not yet fully healed. And now here they were. He was dying all over again...

Garrus lifted his head to see Grunt round the corner holding his broken hand. He had a look on his face he had never seen before, almost as if he wanted to express his regret but wasn't soft enough to let the words slip. Garrus let go of Tali and she turned to see what Garrus was looking at. The sorrow was instantly replaced by rage when she gazed upon the one who had possibly killed her love. She clenched her fist and quickly drew her shotgun; taking aim at his head and walking slowly over to him. After glaring into his eyes for a moment she hit him as hard as she could with the butt of her weapon. Grunt fell on his back and tried to lift himself back up but stopped when he saw her Eviscerator shotgun inches from his face.

"You...you killed him! You!" Tali stood over him, finger on the trigger. She wanted to do it, she wanted to kill him so badly. To watch the orange blood gush from his head as the metal pellets shredded his cranium. It would be so easy, and then she would have avenged Shepard. But no. What would Shepard think? He fell in love with the timid, kind individual she was. She heard Shepard's words in her head. The words he had spoken the night before they infiltrated the Bermuda.

"_I haven't given up on him."_ The words were so vivid. Her arm began to tremble as she slowly started to squeeze the trigger. Grunt looked into the barrel of her shotgun with no emotion, he was ready to die. But then Tali slowly let her finger off of the trigger. She moved the shotgun closer to his face. So close that the barrel was touching his nose.

She looked into his eyes. "The only reason you're still alive is because of Shepard! Because of the man in that room that is fighting for his life because of what you did to him!" Her voice was full of distress. Tears came back to her eyes. In her emotional breakdown she dropped her shotgun and backed away falling back on he knees. Garrus knelt down and placed his hands on her shoulders to try and comfort her. Grunt rose to his feet and walked away. There was nothing he could say that would redeem him from this. He may have killed the only being in the galaxy who would ever care what happens to a savage like him.


	14. Ch14: Remorse

Wrex surveyed the battlefield. Corpses of krogans, humans, and other aliens littered the grounds everywhere and light haze of dust covered the field. He walked among the bodies checking for survivors among the mercs. Or soon not to be suvivors.. He continued his stroll, checking each corpse in his wake. He turned his head to the left. A human Blue Suns trooper lay with a large knife stuck through his heart; his eyes bulging out and his mouth wide open. He must have been screaming in pain before he passed. He turned to the right. A Blood pack Krogan with several shots to the face lie slumped over on his chest.

"_Nice shot Turian..."_ he thought to himself, remembering the kill Garrus had scored less than an hour earlier. He halted when his ears caught the sound of a garbled, ragged cough. He looked straight ahead to see a Vorcha lying on his back; a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen. His hands clamped over it desperately trying to stop the bleeding. He calmly walked over to the dying Vorcha and stood up straight staring down into its eyes as it breathed its last breaths.

"Agh!" The Vorcha strained to speak. "B...Blood P-Pack...a-and Blue...Suns...crush you!" Wrex smiled slyly and lifted his foot.

"I'll be sure to tell them the something similar..." Wrex stomped down on the Vorcha's head with all the strength his leg would allow causing the Vorcha's head to cave in and blood to gush out like a squashed grape.

"Vermin..." Wrex mumbled. He twisted his foot in both directions, wiping the ground with the Vorcha's brain matter. He lifted his foot off the corpse and stared at it for a moment.

"Wish I could do that every time I get bored..." He chuckled. He heard large footsteps behind him and spun around. The shadow of a Krogan could be seen through the haze. When the figure came closer, he immediately recognized the green head-plate of his brother, Wreav. He didn't seem very pleased to say the least. He glared at Wrex the entire time. Wreav stopped in front of his brother and threw his arms out.

"Do you have any clue as to what you have done, brother?" Wreav grumbled. Wrex rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I killed a lot of squishy, quad-sucking mercs." He replied sarcastically. Wreav grew angrier.

"Your interference in the duel will not go unnoticed! You will lose your standing with every clan that has come to respect you! You have undone all you have accomplished in one day!" Wrex turned back around to look down at the bloody cranium of the Vorcha he had crushed.

"Let them think what they want. I still have the strongest clan on Tuchanka. Urdnot follows me and if they don't, I'll show them know the meaning of 'aggressive negotiations.'

Wreav took a step forward and pointed at Wrex. "Fool! Your warriors will abandon you just as you abandoned every Krogan tradition! Gatatog Uvenk was right about you!" Wrex clenched his fist tightly and spun around letting it connect with his brothers face. Wreav fell backward and tried to lift himself up but Wrex grabbed him by the collar and proceeded to drag his brother over to the body of the krogan that Garrus had killed. Wreav struggled but his brother's grip was too strong. Wrex then placed his brother in a headlock and leaned forward so that Wreav's face was staring straight down at the orange pool of blood that had oozed from the dead krogan's head.

"Is this the future you want for our people!" exclaimed Wrex. Wreav continued to struggle. Wrex loosened the headlock and then tossed his brother aside. "Look at our world brother! Look at the smoldering ruins of our once glorified Tuchanka! What has tradition ever done for us! Nuclear war, the Genophage..." Wreav took the opportunity to speak while his brother paused.

"It is who and what we are Wrex!" retorted Wreav.

"We are who we chose to be! And I chose to unite our people under one banner! We will be one again! And I'll drag each and every one of you into the future I'm building for us! Dead or alive! The mistakes of our forefathers will not be repeated!" Wreav was finally on his two feet again. His knuckles cracked as he stretched his hand, preparing to teach his brother a lesson. Wrex noticed this and clenched his fist letting it glow with biotic energy. Wreav decided that taking on his superior would be suicide and relaxed his fist. Wrex too contained his anger and his fist stopped glowing. Wreav then turned around, giving one last spiteful glare at Wrex, and then began to walk away.

Wrex turned back to the corpse of the dead krogan, "Wreav!" Wrex yelled out. "Fuck with me like that again and you'll look a lot worse than him!" He said referring to the bloody corpse. Wreav grunted and disappeared into the haze.

Wrex became lost in thought. "_Too bad humans don't have a redundant nervous system eh Shepard?" _Wrex chuckled at the thought, wondering if Shepard would pull through the beating he had received earlier. The pain Shepard was feeling must be unbearable. That is, if he was still alive. But somehow Wrex knew Shepard's hard ass could take it.

...

Tali sat down at the table in the mess hall with Garrus was right beside her, patting her on the back gently for comfort. Her sobbing had lightened up but the tears still flowed endlessly. Waiting for an update on Shepard's condition was tearing her heart to shreds. She sat leaned over the table clenching her fists tightly. She still had passing thoughts of running down to engineering to put a scatter-shot slug into that bosh'tet tank-bred Krogan's face. As much as Shepard wouldn't want her to do that, she still could barely contain her hatred. Garrus could see pool of tears building up at the base of her visor. Occasionally her suit would evaporate them when the build up became too much. He was almost glad it hid the painful expression on her face. He wasn't sure he could bear to see her like that. It had been hours since Doctor Chakwas and Professor Solus had started the surgery. They had polarized the windows of the med bay to hide the gruesome operation. Tali wished she could be in there to hold his hand but the Doctor needed room to work. The survival of her love depended on it.

The med bay hatch hissed open with Chakwas and the professor stepping out, their cloths and latex gloves covered in blood. Tali shot up with Garrus following suite and ran over to them. The suspense caused her heart to beat rapidly, so rapidly that she thought it would burst. She stared into the bloodshot eyes of the doctor and prepared to hear the worst.

"We re-constructed his rib cage as best we could... Patched up his lung and stopped the bleeding as well..." Chakwas said trying to keep her gaze on Tali but her eyes only drifted to the floor. Mordin took a step forward.

"Lost much blood. Stable, but critical. Life or death..." Mordin inhaled deeply, "Up to him now..." Chakwas nodded at Mordin and then spoke to Tali with an outstretched hand.

"You may see him now..." Tali pushed past them and sprinted through the door. She halted in front of Shepard's medical bed and gasped when she saw just how pale he was with an oxygen mask still placed over his mouth.

"Shepard..." she whispered. He had been placed in a medically induced coma to aid in the healing. The sight pained her. He had always seemed invincible against any threat. But his true mortality was showing. Her tears began to flow again as she reached for his cold, clammy hand and caressed it softly. Garrus watched her from the med bay door keeping as silent as ever and watched her tend to him for a moment then dropped his head and walked out, sealing the door behind him. Chakwas was talking to Mordin outside.

"We should probably inform the rest of the crew..." She said.

No..." said the turian. "It's bad enough with just Tali grieving. If the worst comes, I'll send them a message myself."

Mordin nodded. "Agreed, maintain morale of crew. No need for unnecessary grief." The professor insisted.

Chakwas turned to Garrus again. "We should at least inform Wrex. I'm sure he's just as worried for his old friend."

Garrus shook his head. "Blood Pack are all over Tuchanka. I don't want to risk this information leaking out. The mercs could take advantage of Shepard's condition and launch another attack."

...

Back inside the med bay, Tali had pulled up a chair next to the medical bed and laid her heard on Shepard's bruised arm. Her crying had stopped and she regained some composure. She wanted to be strong for him when and if he woke up. She was suddenly startled by door of the med bay opening again.

"Creator-Tali'Zorah." A synthesized voice called from behind. Tali peaked over her shoulder at the the Geth platform.

"Legion..." She replied. A series of pulses went through Legion's face plates. She knew he wanted to say something so she remained silent and waited for him to speak.

"We offer our sympathies for Shepard-Commander's current condition." Its face plates pulsed again. Legion was the last person-err thing she expected to find comfort from. She tried to smile under her helmet but the frown remained.

"Thank you..." she whispered turning back to Shepard. Legion walked up behind her and stared at Shepard with its bright circular eye. Even with over 1000 Geth programs inside of it, it could still not feel remorse. At least, not in the way organics feel it.

"We hope to see Shepard-Commander fully functioning soon." It said looking down at Tali. She welcomed its concern even though it wasn't able to express it as well as an organic being. Legion walked past her into the AI core and took its usual spot at the end of the room. It performed an extranet search on "Remorse," trying to understand what it was rather than what it meant. As usual the results came back with dictionary references. Nothing it didn't already know. It stood in the dark and glanced at the piece of Shepard's old N7 armor welded to its shoulder that it had picked up back on Eden Prime. It still didn't understand why of all things, it chose this piece of armor to repair itself with. It thought about it and began to feel an unknown sensation. Could it be that its programs were actually slowly evolving? Learning? Did it... admire Shepard? It tried to justify the feeling with a logical conclusion.

"Consensus... system error..."

...

Garrus had returned to the main battery, trying to ease his mind by running the usual weapons calibrations. It didn't help much as his thoughts kept drifting into worry for his commander. He tried to deny his own thoughts, cursing at himself to try to focus on the console in front of him. He sighed and let his hands rest on the sides of the control panel. He was brought back to reality when Joker called over the comm.

"Garrus, there's a krogan shuttle approaching. Um, Wrex is requesting permission to dock." Garrus felt puzzled for a second.

"Why are telling me this?" He replied.

"Cause at the moment you're in charge ya' big dope." Joker said sarcastically.

"Of course..." Garrus whispered. "Proceed. Tell him I'll meet him at the airlock."

"Copy that." Joker acknowledged.

...

Wrex unlocked the hatch and proceeded into the Normandy's airlock for decontamination. A process he wasn't to fond of but accepted it and waited patiently for the doors to open. When they did, Garrus met his eyes, standing outside the airlock.

"Wrex, good to see you." The Turian said politely. Wrex stepped forward and directed his gaze down the hall.

"How's our boy?" Wrex asked.

"He's hanging in there, but we won't really know for sure till he wakes up." Garrus replied. Wrex turned back to him.

"So... where's our tank-bred friend?"

"He's been in his room in engineering the entire time." The Turians expression turned to anger, "Under different circumstances, I'd probably space him."

Wrex chuckled. "That's what happens when you spend too much time around Shepard, you get soft." Garrus' mandibles stretched outward, the first smile he'd had all day. He nodded at the truth of the krogan battle-master's words and proceeded to lead him to the crew deck.

…

"Shit! What the fuck was that! Since when does a frigate carry that kind of fire power!" Vido was throwing a tantrum on the bridge of his cruiser. It had not been long since they retreated from Tuchanka after the Normandy had put on quite a display after destroying the Blood Pack cruiser with one blast its powerful Thanix cannon.

"Sir, what are your orders?" One of the Blue Suns officers on the bridge asked. Vido calmed himself and sat back down in his chair.

"Set a course for Illium. We're gonna need more than just the Blood Pack to drag Shepard's ass to hell. And I hear Eclipse ain't exactly in good standings with him either..."


	15. Ch15: Unforseen Consequences

In the tech lab of the Normandy, Mordin was keeping hard at work by examining the energy capsule they had retrieved from the Cerberus research vessel, the Bermuda. He held the canister in his two hands. It was like nothing he had ever seen. The blue colored, fluid-like sparks in the capsule flowed in perfect order like ocean waves flowing in rhythm to a melody. He was eager to release it from the container and experiment with it in a controlled environment, but he wanted to be 110% sure of what he was dealing with before risking the crews lives just to satisfy his curiosity. Subtly he ran his omni-tool over it trying to get an accurate scan. The results were always inconclusive. How much power it could generate was off the scale, and as far as he could tell, it was not an engineered substance. He laid the canister back down on the desk and stared at it expectantly with his finger under his chin.

"Compound not Cerberus design. No data of similar energy source among known worlds. A genuine find perhaps? No, no, no, Cerberus always plans long term. Malevolent purpose, yes. A ruse made by Illusive man... Logical conclusion..." He walked around the desk and flipped his research terminal on to go through some more of the decrypted files from the Bermuda. As he was scrolling through the codes he heard someone faintly whisper his name.

"Yes EDI?" He asked.

"I did not call for you professor Solus." The AI replied. Mordin looked around the room carefully then shook his head.

"Auditory hallucination. Common with old age... Possible explanation..." He closed his terminal, deciding that a short break would ease his weary mind, and walked out of the room. When the door to the lab was firmly sealed the canister emitted a bright glow then returned to its normal brightness. Though no one was around to see it.

...

Meanwhile down in the med bay, Tali had been at Shepard's side the whole night. She kept falling in and out of sleep, struggling to keep herself awake to tend to Shepard. Chakwas would come in every hour to check on his condition as well as Tali's though every time she came by Tali was always either caressing his hand or fast asleep from the stress of the situation so she would leave her to her peace. Shepard's vital signs had improved slightly over night giving her a small glimmer of hope which was something no one else had at the moment. But she had hope, she wanted to. The more her hope grew the more it seemed like everything was going to work out just fine. She lost Shepard once, she would not lose him again. Suddenly the moment she had been waiting for happened. She heard a groan and noticed that Shepard began to stir. She immediately pressed a red button on the side of his bed paging Dr. Chakwas that his condition had changed. She leaned over him as he tried to open his eyes.

"Shepard!" she said. His eyes opened slowly; adjusting to the bright light above his head. His vision was blurry and his hearing muffled but that changed as he became more awake. When he was able to make out the purple figure leaning over him, Tali placed a hand on his neck to keep him from getting up.

"Don't try to move Shepard. You're injuries are not yet fully healed." She said with concern. To her surprise his eyes locked on her but did not show relief, or love. They showed fear.

"Where am I?" Shepard moaned. Chakwas came rushing in the med bay at that moment.

"Is he awake!" She rushed to Tali's side to examine him. Shepard's expression became overwhelmed with fear.

"Who are you people?" He lifted the blankets back to see the massive scar and the bruises that ran down his chest. "What the hell did you do to me!" He began to struggle as Tali and Chakwas held him down. What was going on? Garrus, Wrex, and Mordin stormed in through the door as did Legion from the AI core. Shepard continued to struggle; growling in pain as he tried to fight off his offenders.

"Commander you have to calm down!" Chakwas yelled.

"Get off me!" Shepard yelled back. The pain in his chest kept him from putting up any good attempt at throwing them off of him. Chakwas turned to Mordin.

"Sedative now!" Mordin rushed to the table on her command and grabbed a large syringe. He handed it to the her and she jabbed it into his arm. Shepard's struggles quickly became weaker as his eyes shut once again and he drifted off back into his state of unconsciousness.

Chakwas and Tali were both panting as the others watched in horror. "What happened?" She asked Tali.

"I don't know!" She replied. "When he woke up he acted like he didn't recognize me and just..." Tears began to well up in her eyes again but she managed keep her composure. Instead looking back down at Shepard. Chakwas didn't know what to think. Before any real diagnosis could be made, they had to talk to him.

"What do we do now?" Garrus asked. Chakwas appeared utterly exhausted from the stress of the situation as she walked over to her desk and sat down in her chair, bringing the palm of her hand up to her face. She signed heavily before speaking.

"I'm going to keep him sedated for the next 24 hours. After that, I'll need to wake him up. There could be brain damage that I might have overlooked and the only way I can determine that is by talking to him." She turned her attention to Tali. "Miss Zorah, you should get some rest. You've been here all day and I know its been difficult." Tali stared down at Shepard. Her brain agreed with the doctor, but her heart said she should remain by his side.

"He'll be fine, I'll call you the second I'm ready to wake him." Chakwas assured her. Tali nodded still staring down at Shepard and then turned around to walk out. Garrus followed behind with his arm around her back. Mordin returned to the tech lab and Legion to the AI core. Only Wrex remained. Chakwas then proceeded to drop her hand from her face to acknowledge his presence.

"Wrex, I didn't notice you there. Have you come to check on Shepard?" Wrex nodded and walked over to the side of the medical bed. He lifted up the blankets to examine the scar running down Shepard's chest and ran his hand along the bruises visible on his skin where his ribs had broken.

"Hmph." he chuckled. "Only you Shepard, the whelp could learn a thing or two from you..." He drew his hand back and smiled, remaining at Shepard's side and laughing in his mind at the situation.

...

Tali and Garrus sat in the elevator side by side. This time without her threatening to castrate him. She fiddled with her wrists the entire time with Garrus glancing over at her, keeping silent. The elevator came to stop at Deck 2 where Garrus got off.

"Try to get to some rest." The turian said before tapping to the controls and sending the elevator to Shepard's cabin. The doors sealed and Garrus folded his arms as he listened to the hum of the elevator ascending.

"Mister Vakarian." EDI chimed in. "I've managed to decrypt a large portion of the Cerberus research files. I've uploaded them to the briefing room terminal." Garrus relaxed his arms and looked up towards the ceiling.

"I'll check it out." He strolled through the armory to briefing room where the console was already active with the data waiting for him and tapped a few keys to examine the first bit of data. Apparently it was a video log. Information ran across the side of the screen.

'Video log 1: Dr. Julia Rennolds.' Garrus pushed the play button and a the log began to play. A human female, Cerberus scientist by her uniform, began to speak which he assumed to be Dr. Rennolds.

"Day 1 aboard the Cerberus research vessel, Bermuda. I'm tentatively excited to be working on Project Black-Heart with the legendary Doctor Kindeler. The man is incredibly passionate about the implications of our work. He says this new technology will change the Galaxy as we know it. I easily share his enthusiasm. People will come to revere Cerberus for all the work we've done for humanity once we're finished..." Garrus closed the first entry and brought up the second.

"Day 23, Doctor Kindeler certainly isn't what I thought he was from his profile. Throughout my time working on the project I've come to know that he's a very religious man. He says the complexity of the universe couldn't have been some accident. That everything is just too perfect for people not believe in something. I remain a skeptic myself. As long as his beliefs don't interfere with our work then I guess it doesn't matter what he or anyone else for that matter believes..." Garrus moved on to the third entry. His curiosity becoming overwhelmed.

"Day 105, the Doctor seems to have become paranoid for no apparent reason. He believes others are talking behind his back, plotting against him. He's becoming more hostile by the day. What's even stranger is...he believes that God has been talking to him. Even after our first test to replicate the energy failed, it was all he focused on. God this, God that, he spends most of his time just staring at the energy inside its canister. If it continues I won't hesitate to report him. We can't have a mentally unstable shmuck leading the project..." Garrus was now very interested in what he was seeing so he played the forth and final entry. This time the woman seemed distressed.

"Day 146, The Doctor has gone insane! He's reprogrammed the security mechs! They're slaughtering the crew! I locked and barricaded myself in my quarters. I can hear noises from outside, they're dying! I tried to send out a distress call but hes locked me out of all systems. Why-isn't the auto pilot returning us to base? The reactor seems to have shut down for no reason!" Garrus saw the woman look behind her as she heard someone banging on her door followed by a gunshot which silenced the screaming. The woman turned back to the monitor. "Oh God! This is all our fault! I believe his insanity is somehow related to the project. The energy! We've made a huge mistake! We never should have recovered-" The video log hissed and went blank surprising the turian.

"EDI?" Garrus asked hoping she would have an answer for the malfunction.

"Bits of the data are fragmented Mister Vakarian. It will take more time to reassemble them." Garrus played back the last few seconds of the recording. What did she mean? Recovered what? How was it their fault? What really happened on board Bermuda that day?

...

Back in Shepard's cabin, Tali had resigned herself to slumber in Shepard's bed. She fell asleep the instant she lay down due to her exhaustion. She slept soundly the entire night, not waking up nor dreaming in her deep sleep. She awoke the next morning hoping to find Shepard beside her but gaining her concentration, knew that was impossible at the moment. She slowly set her legs down on the cold floor and looked around the room before remembering what happened the night before.

"Keelah..." She whispered. "Why did he not recognize me? How could he not recognize me?" She signed heavily and walked over to Shepard's terminal. The picture frame which contained a picture of Liara had been replaced by one of her hugging him from behind. She held it up to her visor and stared at it, reminiscing those joyful memories as they flowed back into her mind. While still holding the picture she sat down in the chair beside her.

"Shepard..." she held the photo close to her chest as if it were the last thing she would ever hold. "What's happened to you..." A English accented voice then came from her comm link breaking her from her chain of thought.

"Miss Zorah..." Chakwas called. Tali's heart began to race at the suspense of waiting for the update on his condition.

"He's waking up... You should come down here."


	16. Ch16: Faith

Everyone had rushed into med bay after Chakwas had given the news that he was waking up. Tali was the first one inside followed by Garrus and Wrex. Mordin had stumbled over as Grunt pushed passed him. Legion was already talking with the Doctor when everyone came in. Tali ran to Shepard who was standing up with his head looking down at the floor, still groggy from the sedative. She threw her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could. Shepard recoiled and yelled in pain from her tight embrace and then removed her arms from around himself and pushed her back causing her to fall on her butt.

"Get off me!" Shepard yelled. He sounded as if he'd lost his voice. She looked up at him as did everyone else. Completely puzzled by his strange reaction. Chakwas walked over to him with a small flashlight in hand and examined his pupils. Garrus helped Tali up.

"Commander Shepard, do you know where you are?" The Doctor asked. Shepard looked even more confused and tried to push her away but was in too much pain even with the strong pain killers she had given him.

"Who's Shep-get away from me." He moaned. Chakwas clicked off the flashlight and continued with the questions.

"What is the current date?" She asked again. Shepard only looked at her with anger in his eyes.

"What? What are you talking about? Where am I? Who the hell are-ugh..." He covered his chest as it ached from his rib reconstruction. Chakwas helped him lay back down and then walked over to the crew and whispered.

"I believe the commander is suffering from Amnesia. His brain must have shutdown his memories to protect itself from the trauma." Grunt's eyes shot wide open and then he turned to leave the room. None of the others seemed to even notice. Wrex seemed to study Shepard who was sitting back up again.

"Wait a second..." Wrex said. He then walked over to the medical bed and stared Shepard in the eyes. Shepard stared back in confusion. Wrex then lunged forward causing Shepard to flinch backward nearly causing him to fall off the bed. Wrex turned around and pointed his thumb back at Shepard.

"Yeah, he definitely doesn't remember. Shepard wouldn't flinch." Wrex then smiled and turned back to Shepard who had a fearful expression on his face.

"No he can't forget!" Tali ran back to his side and grabbed both his hands. "Shepard! It's me! Tali! You know me! You would never forget me!" Shepard looked confused. He drew his hands out of her grasp.

"Don't touch me Quarian!" Tali gasped upon hearing this and brought her hands to her mouthpiece as the tears began to flow down her face. The rest of the grew were shocked to hear him use the name of her species like an insult.

"No..." she whimpered and ran out of the med bay with her hands covering her visor. The others watched her run out. They almost couldn't believe it. Garrus decided he would try to get something out of him.

"Shepard snap out of it! It's Garrus! You know," Garrus, not thinking straight then blurted out, "the guy who saw your girlfriend naked!" Everyone in the med bay all gasped at once except for Wrex and Legion. The room fell dead silent. Garrus' mandibles stretched out so much in embarrassment that it seemed they would snap off.

"Um... I-I meant that metaphorically..." the turian stammered. Wrex began to laugh clutching his belly as he did.

"Hahaha! You saw the Quarian nude?" Wrex laughed even harder then started to stomp the floor with one foot in his fit of laughter.

"Just let it out Wrex... Just let it out..." Garrus said while covering his face with one hand. Wrex started to settle down slowly before Mordin brought everyone back on topic.

"Focus on Shepard. Memories suppressed..." The professor inhaled. "Disturbing..." Chakwas placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder and spoke softly as she leaned in close to him.

"Shepard...what is the last thing you remember." She had a look of expectancy but Shepard could not satisfy it.

"Who's Shepard?" he replied. Chakwas took a deep breath.

"Listen to me very carefully. Your name is John Shepard. You are the Commander of the frigate SSV Normandy SR-2. My name is Doctor Chakwas and these people are your crew." Shepard looked at her with a blank stare, trying his hardest to remember something but his mind was black and empty.

"I don't..." Shepard began to say. He then lifted up his shirt to look at the surgical scar that ran down his chest. "What happened to me?"

"You were injured in battle. You're suffering from Amnesia, that is why you can't remember anything." Shepard ran his hands threw his hair.

"I know this is a lot for you to take in, but right now you need to rest. You've not yet fully recovered from your injuries." She laid him back down on the medical bed.

"What do we do with him?" Garrus asked.

"For now..." Chakwas said. "Nothing..."

...

Back in Shepard's cabin Tali had thrown herself on Shepard's bed, crying into a pillow. Shepard losing his memories, to her, felt the same as him dying again.

"_I...I've lost him...he's gone..." _She thought while sobbing heavily. All the happy memories she had of him flashed through her mind like a slide show of photos. She remembered when they first met, when he saved her from the turian assassin. When he had given her the Geth data for her pilgrimage, when he first came back into her life on Freedom's Progress. Even when he saved her on Haestrom. But most importantly, when he helped her with her trial. The strength he spoke with. So noble he was, using everything at his disposal to keep her from being exiled. And then...when he admitted his feelings for her...the happiest day of her the following night before going through the Omega 4 Relay. The passion they shared for each other that night...

She remembered how nervous she was, worried that Shepard would shun her if he didn't approve of her face. However, he didn't see a a vagrant Quarian like the rest of the galaxy when he smiled upon seeing the beauty in her face for the first time. He saw past the species. He saw a beautiful young woman full of love, love for him. He was everything she ever dreamed of and more. In that moment she knew...no one could ever love her as much as he did.

She began to think about what could have been. In their time together she felt that it was more than just a temporary relationship. She felt that they could have been much more. If Shepard had ever asked her if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, she would have accepted without hesitation. But now it seemed that that thought would remain only a fantasy, never to become a reality. The reality she so longed for...

...

"Seems like I've got no other business here. Watch out for him turian." Wrex and Garrus were chatting outside the med bay. Apparently he was ready to head back down to Tuchanka.

"We could really use you here with the way things are going. Sure you can't stay?" Garrus asked.

"I would, but I should get back before my idiot brother starts a war over a losing a battle in the pits." Wrex replied.

"Well..." Garrus stretched out his hand, Wrex did the same and shook it. "Good luck Wrex." Grunt came around the corner just as they broke their handshake and Wrex glared at him.

"I...would like to return to Tuchanka with you Chief Urdnot..." said Grunt trying not to look into Wrex's eyes.

"What makes you think I'd have you?" Wrex retorted. Grunt lifted his head and locked eyes with Wrex.

"It is clear to me now that I must learn to control my impulses, lest they control me. I believe there is much I can learn from you Chief Urdnot. I...owe it to Shepard. If you would have me, I would be honored to call you my battle-master..." Wrex turned to Garrus who nodded in agreement then back to Grunt.

"Very well, you will return with me. It's the least you can do to make up for the shit storm you've caused." Grunt nodded. Wrex turned back to Garrus.

"Try to keep your eyes off the quarian." Wrex headed for the elevator with, laughing out loud. A few minutes later Garrus watched out the port observation window to watch Wrex's shuttle leave. Chakwas walked in behind him, he noticed but didn't bother to turn around to greet her.

"How is he?" Garrus said, his voice full of concern and doubt.

"Finally asleep. The medication I've given him should allow him to be back on his feet by tomorrow." Chakwas replied. Garrus paused for a moment.

"Will he ever remember anything?"

Chakwas moved closer beside him and she too gazed out into the void of space. "I don't know. Even with all our advancements in medicine, we still can't correct something like amnesia. The best we can do is hope he will recover. I do know one thing for sure. If anyone can help him, it's Miss Zorah..."

...

Tali awoke early the next morning. She had not bothered to leave the cabin ever since Shepard shoved her away like an annoying pest. It still hurt. She hadn't eaten for hours, having fallen into a state of depression. His words echoed in her mind, hitting her like a hammer over and over again.

"_Don't touch me, Quarian!" _Quarian... The Shepard she knew would never call her that. No, the real Shepard would have gladly broken a few more ribs just to embrace her for a few more seconds.

She jumped slightly from where she sat at the end of the bed upon hearing the cabin door hiss open. Shepard stepped in with metal braces around his legs, probably to help him keep balance. Chakwas must have given him the strongest pain killers on board just to give him enough strength to go and see her.

"Um...hi..." he said. Tali looked him over then dropped her head to the floor again.

"I'm...sorry if I hurt your feelings... It's just... I...don't remember you. I didn't know." Tali still didn't answer. It was like listening to a complete stranger.

"The doctor told me your name is Tali and that...we're...in love..." she lifted her head to look into his eyes when he said this. He seemed genuinely apologetic.

"Yes...we are..." Tali whispered just enough for him to hear. He walked closer to her.

"I feel like I was just born. This-all of this just seems so new to me... I want to remember but I just cant..."

Tali could hear the sincerity in his voice. "You really don't remember anything?" she asked. He listened to her words, suddenly something flashed in his mind so quickly that he decipher it.

"I feel like...like I'm supposed to know you, but..." She walked over to him and brought his hands together. His words awoke a new resolve within her. She couldn't and wouldn't give up just yet.

"I'll find a way..." she whispered softly.

...

The Blue suns cruiser, the Cyclops, dropped out of FTL, preparing to enter orbit over Illium.

"Sir, incoming message from our contact on Illium, text only." An officer said rising from his seat.

Vido sat in his command chair in the bridge. "Patch it through." he replied. A holo-screen appeared in front of his chair and he read over the message carefully. The more he read the more his lips curved into a devious smile.

"Well, well, well... How the tables have turned... See you soon Massani. And this time you won't have Shepard to cover your ass you old dog..." Vido rose from his chair. "Contact Eclipse and tell them they better be ready for a joint operation!"


	17. Ch17: Vacation's Over

Vido Santiago took a shuttle from his cruiser and landed in the hanger of his secret Blue Sun's base in the outskirts of Nos Atra. He had a smug look on his face the whole way. This was his chance to cripple Shepard where his true strength lie...in his team, and he knew Zaeed was among them. He would finally put another bullet in his face, only this time, he would make sure he took more than just an eye.

"_You're a dead man Massani!"_

The door slid into the wall as it opened allowing Vido to step into his personal quarters. He had one in each of his bases in the galaxy. Though this one wasn't as luxurious as some of the others. It was more like a small office than a comfortable quarters. He walked around the desk and took his seat. A large monitor screen was attached to the wall behind him. He flipped a panel up on the desk revealing a small console and tapped a few controls then spun his chair around to look at the monitor. The dark blue face of an Asari appeared on the screen. She was young for her status. Probably in her late maiden or early matron years and had a very beautiful face. She sported black face paint that took on a pattern that looked very much like a spider web. Her armor was also black with yellow stripes running up the chest plate and side ways around her waste. A certain logo could be seen on the shoulder guard identifying her as an Eclipse veteran.

He looked her over before locking eyes with her. " Aranya... Your looking good." he said with a grin.

The Eclipse veteran rolled her eyes back and glared at him. "Skip the pleasantries, Santiago. What do you want?"

Vido crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in his chair, keeping the sly look on his face. "Well Aranya-"

"Major Aranya." She interrupted. He grumbled to himself then continued.

"Major, it just so happens we have a certain opportunity to snag."

"We?" she said quizzically.

Vido took on a more serious tone. "When you hear what I have to propose, you won't refuse cooperating with me."

The Asari tilted her head to the right but kept her eyes fixed on the Blue Suns leader. "The last time I...'cooperated' with you, you tried to kill me!"

"Come on babe. You gotta put that past us. No hard feelings, it was just busine-"

"Cut to the chase Santiago!" She exclaimed. "Your bullshit is really starting to smell on this end!"

"Well since you asked so nicely..." Vido stood up from his chair and folded his hands behind his back. "Shepard's team just happens to be on vacation in Nos Astra all held up in a hotel. I was going to let you in on the take down, but if you'd rather whine about the little incident during your previous employment..."

Aranya shook her head and signed heavily. "What did you have in mind? His grin grew even wider.

"Now your talking. I'll fill you in on the attack plan once we're ready to move. But if you want in, you better assemble your troops quickly..."

"I'll have a platoon of my best ready in under an hour." She replied.

"Good, good. Then I'll see you and your..." Vido took moment to admire her figure, "assets real soon."

"The only asset you'll see is my foot up your ass, Santiago!" she retorted.

"That's my girl." he said as he terminated the transmission. Smiling, he sat back down in his chair. He had never been so excited before. To catch not only Shepard's team, but his nemesis Massani in one skirmish seemed like a gift from God. He turned his chair around and set his feet up on the desk. With one last laugh he whispered to himself.

"Zaeed... Were I a more compassionate man, I might have given you a quick a death..."

...

Tali sat down comfortably on the couch with Shepard right next to her. For a while she had been answering questions he asked about his life. She told him about him being a Spectre, the mission to defeat Saren, the reapers, and even the Collectors.

"So... How long have we known each other?" he asked.

"Two years. Well, two years for me. For you, less than a year. I mean..." Tali took on a depressing tone. "With your death and..." Shepard was almost shocked.

"I...died?"

"Yes, the Collectors attacked the first Normandy two years ago. Almost everyone made it out. But you..." Were he able to see through her visor he would have seen the single tear slide down her cheek.

Still confused, he questioned her claims. "But how am I here now?"

"Cerberus, a human extremist organization, recovered your body and spent 2 years rebuilding you." She lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. "And I'm glad they did..." Shepard began to felt sympathy for the young quarian girl, although, he still found it hard to believe he could love a quarian. Nonetheless, she was still a person just like everybody else.

"I imagine it was hard for you." he said softly.

"It was a very lonely two years. I missed you..." Tali replied. "When you came back into my life on Freedom's progress, I thought I was dreaming. It was too much of a good thing to be real." Tali got up from the couch and took a few steps away from him. "And then you... you almost died again 2 days ago. I-I thought I was going to lose you again..." She began to sob quietly. "And I was right."

Shepard watched as she covered her visor with her hands, sobbing where she stood. He felt embarrassed but managed to do the most decent thing he could think of at the moment. Straining to lift himself up off the couch, he walked over to her with a slight limp and placed his hand on her shoulder, doing his best to cheer her up. "I'm...I'm sorr-" She turned around before he could finish and embraced him tightly, taking by surprise. She continued to sob into his chest making him feel more sorry for her. He slowly brought his arms around her but before he could return the embrace she pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry." She sniffled. "I shouldn't have done that. I-I know I'm still a complete stranger to you but I just didn't know what else to do-" She began to wring her hands together. "a-and holding you always makes me feel better you know? I-I mean you don't know because of your amnesia b-but...oh Keelah... I'm rambling again..." Shepard chuckled to himself. Finding her rambling to be quite cute.

"What's so funny?" Tali asked.

"N-Nothing sorry." he said reaching to scratch the back of his neck with his cheeks burning red. Tali's mood slowly began to lighten up.

"Tell me." she said innocently.

"I...I just think your...kinda cute when you do that."

She giggled. "You always knew how to cheer me up... I guess you are in there somewhere..." Shepard felt a light throbbing in his head. Something flashed in his mind but again he couldn't decipher its meaning. Tali noticed him grab both sides of his head and clench his teeth.

"What's wrong?" She grabbed both sides of his waist to keep him from collapsing but he quickly regained composure.

"I don't know. I just keep getting these...these images in my head. But I don't know what they mean." Tali thought about it for a second. It seemed that whenever she talked about the two of them his brain would try to remember something but couldn't achieve the focus it needed. This gave her an idea.

"I think I know how to make you remember!" she said excitedly.

Shepard looked at her puzzled. "How?"

...

"What do you think Doctor?" Tali asked.

"Well, emotional memories tend to be more permanent than visual ones. Stimulating them could cause a spike in his memory." Chakwas replied.

Shepard stood by the door feeling, feeling excluded from the conversation. "What exactly are we going to do?" Tali turned towards him.

"Just trust me, I'm sure this will work." She activated her comm link. "Joker?"

"What's up Tali?" Joker cheerfully replied.

"Take us to the Citadel. I think I know a way to restore Shepard's memory."

"I'd be glad to follow that order, but your not exactly in charge, Missy." Joker replied sarcastically. Tali became annoyed and returned the sarcasm.

"OK then, how about I ease the symptoms of your disease by amputating your legs with my shotgun?" There was silence for a moment.

"Uh, setting course for the Citadel... Sheesh. Better make sure your CO2 tank is clean next time you put your suit on..." Joker grumbled.

"I heard that!" she retorted.

"Yeah, yeah, you got a shotgun I get it!"

...

It was dark by the time Vido had called a meeting between his forces and the Eclipse to discuss the plan of attack on the hotel where most of the Spectre's team was staying. Aranya sat in a hover car with 3 Asari commandos; her personal guard. Blue Suns troops were already waiting for them on the skyscraper of a tall building. She stared out the window to see two squads of troops. It looked like they were being lead by a batarian. The hover car landed softly on the roof. She hoped out first with her guards following and walked over to the Blue Suns lieutenant. She stood only a few meters before him and looked over his men.

"Where's Santiago?" she asked.

"Some place where you can't touch him!" the batarian retorted.

"Figures, I knew he didn't have the balls to meet with me face to face."

The Blue suns lieutenant raised an arm and pointed at her. "That mouth of yours is gonna get you killed one of these days! If I wasn't under orders, I'd be the one to zip up your body bag!" Aranya chuckled at his hollow threats and let him continue.

"Now to business..." the Batarian motioned to one of his troops to step forward. The human trooper did so and tapped his omni-tool which drew a large holographic layout between the two groups. The batarian stepped closer to the display and traced his finger along the layout of the hotel as he spoke.

"We've setup explosives at the base of the building here, here, and here. This will cut off all exits, trapping them like caged Varren. My men and I will repel via gunship on the east side of the building onto the 21st floor where their rooms are located. You'll enter the building before we set off the explosives and wait for the go on the 20th floor. I'll have a second squad infiltrating from the roof down to the 22nd floor. They'll have no way out. Any questions?"

"Hardly a difficult concept..." she said sarcastically.

"Just make sure your ready to move when I give the order! There's no room for fuck ups on this!" One of the Blue Suns troopers walked over to the batarian lieutenant and whispered something to him that Aranya couldn't make out.

"The last them were just seen entering the building, we move now."

...

Zaeed picked up his glass and downed the liquor in one swig. He was glad that the hotel was convenient enough to have a bar on the 2nd floor. He looked around the room, watching the many patrons sharing conversation and ordering drinks. The bartender appeared to be a young female turian, something he rarely saw outside of Palaven. He watched her as she simultaneously poured a few drinks and wiped down the counter.

"Huh..." he thought curiously. He continued to observe the bar, noticing all the waitresses moving from table to table, most of which were young Asari. Hearing a loud crash, he quickly turned to the table behind him. A tray with shattered glass all over it lay on the ground. An Asari stood with an expression of shock near a table where a turian stood.

"The fuck!" The turian yelled.

"I-I'm so sorry sir! I'll get you another one right away!" The male turian, clearly drunk, rose from his seat, struggling to keep his balance.

"You think I come in here to pay good money for drinks just so a clumsy bitch like you can throw it all over the floor!" he yelled slurring his speech. He then harshly grabbed the young Asari's by the arm.

"S-Sir please! You're hurting me!" she screamed. Zaeed continued to observe hoping the bouncer would intervene but he was no where in sight and the rest of the bar seemed to ignore the situation. He sighed heavily then rose from his seat and walked over to the two.

"I believe the dame said she was sorry. I'd take your scaly hand off that delicate arm of hers if I were you." he said glaring angrily at the turian. The turian turned to him.

"And what if I'm not the in mood to let this bitch off the hook?" said the drunk turian still slurring his speech. Zaeed smiled.

"Then I'll break your arm, drag you across that table right there, kick you in the face," Zaeed pointed to a window at the back of the bar. "And throw you out that window." The turian stood silent for a moment then laughed hysterically.

"I'd like to see you tr-" His words were cut short when Zaeed grabbed the arm he used to hold the Asari by the arm and twisted it behind his back snapping the bone in two. Zaeed then used his other arm to grab him by the neck and dragged him across a long table in the center of the room then threw him on the ground, kicked him in the face as hard as he could, lifted him over his shoulder, walked over to the window and threw him straight through the glass window. Zaeed peered out the window to watch the turian land in a dumpster, cringing in pain. He had almost hoped the fall would kill the drunk but settled for a broken arm, fractured jaw, and lacerations from the glass

He wiped his hands together and then turned around to see the entire bar staring at him. For a moment the room was silent before the patrons and waitresses went back to their business. He proceeded to walk past the counter speaking to the female turian bartender as he did.

"Sorry bout' the mess love, put it on my tab." The bartender watched him walk past her and shrugged. The Asari waitress he had helped never moved from where she stood, her mouth hanging wide open.

"Um... Thank you!" She yelled to him. Before he rounded the corner to leave the bar he turned to her and smirked, bringing a smile to her face, then walked to the nearest elevator and stepped in, pushing the button for the 21st floor to return to his room. On the way up he began to think about the Asari he had just helped. Her face reminded him of an Asari girlfriend of his. That is, before she sold him out to the Blood Pack and put a sour on their relationship. He wondered what happened to her after that but above all, hoped sh had died a horrible death. He finally reached the 21st floor and walked down the hall nad into his room. Feeling a little tipsy from his drinks, hw walked over to his bed and plopped down on it without even bothering to take off his armor. Suddenly he felt the building shake and he shot up.

"What the devil?" he said to himself. He began to hear the humming of engines and turned to his window. A gunship hovered up to it and fired a missile through the glass at him. He stood motionless with his eyes nearly bulging out of his face as he watched the rocket fly at him.


	18. Ch18: Haunted Past

"Get down!" Zaeed was tackled to the side by a cloaked figure, the missile passing him harmlessly exploding as it hit the wall. He shook his head in an attempt to relieve the ringing in his ears as he looked up at the invisible figure on top of him which quickly uncloaked to reveal Kasumi.

"What the hell are you doing in my room!" he yelled. Kasumi's smirk quickly turned to a frown.

"Your welcome." She replied sarcastically. Both turned to the hole in the wall where the missile had hit to see a bright glow emanating from it. A powerful biotic blast wave ripped outward from the hole, completely disintegrating the rest of the wall and Samara walked slowly through it into the room staring at the gunship angrily. The gunship raised its twin cannons and prepared to unleash a storm of lasers on her.

"Take this!" the batarian pilot shouted. The twin chain guns opened fire but Samara was quick to think. She slapped her palms together and extended them outwards, erecting a biotic barrier around them; blocking the swarm of shells as they rippled on impact.

"Dammit!" The pilot cried. "Marauders, prepare for insertion!" The gunship ascended out of sight and its rear hatch opened allowing a squad of Blue Suns troopers to repel down through the window. Zaeed managed managed to pick off one with a shot to heart before he swung into the building and another got a special surprise from Samara's biotic throw, sending him falling to his death.

"We need to find cover!" Zaeed shouted. Samara covered their retreat into the hallway with a biotic barrier. Unfortunately they were met with the sight of a squad of Eclipse mercenaries at the end of the corridor. A large dining cart happened to sit next to the door. Zaeed grabbed it and tipped it over to use for cover as the mercs began to fire mercilessly, pinning them down. All the they could do at that moment was take quick pot shots and hope to hit something.

"We're out numbered Zaeed, we can't stay here!" Kasumi shouted.

"You got any bright ideas? Now's the time!" Zaeed replied.

"I believe I have one." Samara stood up and threw a singularity into the group of mercs, temporarily immobilizing them. "Lets go!" The three turned to run for the stairs as Miranda, Jacob, Thane, and Jack all stormed out of their rooms with their weapons loaded.

"What's going on?" asked Miranda.

"Tell you later." Kasumi replied. "We need to get to the roof! There might still be a hover car or two we can use!" The group ran to the end of the hallway opposite of the mercenaries still being thrown around by the singularity. Miranda halted at the elevator doors but saw that the lights on the controls were glowing red, indicating that they were inoperable.

"The stairs!" Miranda shouted. They followed her through the next door and proceeded to climb the stairs all the way up to the roof. They managed to climb 3 stories before gunfire began to rain down on them as another squad of Blue Suns had taken position a few floors above them, blocking there escape route. Shots hit all around them, forcing them to take cover against the walls of the staircase. The Eclipse mercs had already managed to break free of Samara's singularity and were a couple of stories below also firing bursts of lasers from their weapons. They were completely cut off!

"What now Cheerleader!" Jack yelled turning to Miranda who seemed stumped for ideas. The Cerberus operative looked over her team and finally came up with a plan.

"Kasumi, flash-bang! Jack, Thane, on my mark." Kasumi primed a flash grenade on her order and Jack knelt down with her hands on the ground. Thane placed his feet lightly in her open hands.

"Now!" The master thief tossed the already cooked flash grenade up toward the group of mercs which burst in mid air, temporarily blinding them.

"Jack!" Miranda shouted. Jack's body glowed with biotic energy and with all her strength she threw Thane upwards. The Drell assassin landed a few stories up on the stair case. He grabbed the Blue Suns trooper in front of him by the neck, tossed him over the railing, pulled out his pistol and made a precise head shot on the next two, then jabbed the fourth one in the throat causing him to fall to the ground, and broke his neck using his foot. The remaining were met with a quick death by head shots from Thane's pistol. Thane leaned over the railing and motioned for the team to continue to climb. Jacob headed up the rear distracting the mercs below with blind shots from his shotgun.

Aranya activated her comm link. "There heading for the roof, be ready!" On the roof stood a squad of Blue Suns mercs. The lead turian motioned for his men to take position around the door and two of the mercs proceeded to sidle side of the door whiletwo others stood in front of it with weapons primed. There was silence for a while as they listened to the muffled sound of footsteps coming closer. The two humans in front of the door steadied their aim and waited when suddenly they heard a beeping sound coming from the other side the door. The two mercs looked at each other expectantly.

"Oh shi-" The lead merc was knocked off his feet when the door suddenly exploded, he shrapnel killing his men. Zaeed emerged from the smoke and killed him with a quick burst of his battle rifle with the rest of the team following behind shortly after. They had finally reached the roof of the hotel. Unfortunately no hover cars were in sight. The mercs had prepared for this! A gunship appeared seemingly from out of no where from the side of the building and the team reacted instantly by spreading out and taking cover behind a series of crates. The aircraft opened fire with its chain guns followed by a couple of blindly fired missiles. The team fired back but did little damage against its durable shielding.

"I've got this!" Kasumi leaped out of cover and performed a series of acrobatic flips and jumps, dodging the gunships fire. She ran to the edge and heroically leaped off the edge of the building, barely managing to land on the glass windshield of the gunship.

"Dammit!" The batarian pilot yelled. "Get her off me!" Kasumi crawled up the cockpit and onto the tail of the aircraft as the rear hatch opened and a turian leaned out to take aim with his rifle. Before he could even get a single shot off, she planted both hands on the fin of the tail and swung herself into the rear hatch, knocking the turian off his feet as she flew in. She easily killed him with a couple of shots to the chest with her Locust SMG and then ran up the cockpit. The pilot struggled as she grabbed his head and proceeded to snap his neck like a twig. She then threw his limp body aside and took over the piloting controls. Noticing this, the rest of the team rose out from cover a cheered triumphantly. The master thief slowly descended the ship toward the roof and hovered just inches off the ground. The team began running into the rear hatch with Zaeed being the last to retreat, keeping his rifle aimed at the door behind them. He spun around and began sprinting for the gunship but he didn't get far when two shells pierced through his shoulder and upper arm. He fell to the ground clutching his wounded shoulder as the remaining Eclipse mercenaries emerged from the door, two of which were armed with rocket launchers and began firing at the gunship.

Zaeed gazed up at the still open hatch of the gunship to see Jacob watching helplessly. "Get out of here! GO!" He called out. Rockets pounded on the shield of the aircraft leaving Kasumi with no choice but to close the hatch and leave, lest they all perish in the process of aiding their bounty hunter comrade.

"What are you doing! Turn the ship around!" Jacob yelled from the back of the ship. Miranda restrained him.

"If we don't leave right now we're all dead, Jacob!"

...

Zaeed smiled as he watched the ship disappear from sight. Eclipse mercenaries walked up behind him and held him at gunpoint. Aranya walked through the center of the squad of mercs and stared down at him.

"You!" Zaeed whispered angrily. Aranya averted her eyes.

"Secure the prisoner for transport. Inform Santiago that the targets escaped..." She paused. "And that Zaeed Massani was killed in the firefight.

"Ma'am?" An Asari commando questioned from behind her.

"Do it!" Aranya snapped. She motioned to the troops holding him at gunpoint and they picked him up and begun to haul him away. She didn't move from her spot as she continued to avert her gaze from him.

"_Damn..."_

_..._

Garrus stood in port observation as they came out of FTL with the Citadel in sight. He still didn't fully understand Tali's intentions for bringing them there, but in the past he had learned to trust her judgment, especially this time since it involved Shepard's well being. He took a moment to admire the layout of the Citadel. The massive space station, for a Reaper design, was still quite marvelous. Turian cruisers flew around its open arms on constant patrol with The Asari dreadnaught, the Destiny Ascension, cruising just above the top arm of the citadel like a guardian angel keeping watch over its children. He signed and dropped his head. His mind was clouded by doubt. Life never seemed to get any better for him, Shepard, or the crew. There was always some new enemy to fight or a tragedy to bring their spirits down.

"_Garrus..."_ he heard a faint whisper, the voice was unrecognizable. He spun around and looked around the room.

"Shepard?" he called out. No one responded. "Tali?" still, the room remained empty. The sound of glass shattering over by the minibar on right side of the room caused his heart to skip a beat. He glanced over at it and noticed that a glass had seemingly, on its own, fallen off the counter onto the floor, so he walked over to it to investigate.

"Real cute, Tali. Knock it off..." no one replied. He stopped a few feet from the broken glass on the floor and for a moment looked around the counter to find the culprit but there was no one there. He suddenly felt a cold draft behind him, feeling a presence that could only be described as...evil. He spun around quickly and was thrown into a state of complete terror as he gazed upon the looming form of Saren Arterius, the rogue Spectre they had killed two years earlier.

"You! Your're...you're dead!" Garrus stammered. The horrid figure began to step forward. Garrus backed away from him slowly, feeling the shards of broken glass beneath his feet. He could back up no further when he felt the counter of the minibar against his back. His mandibles flexed wide in fear as Saren raised his arm and stretched out his hand. The three talons on his claw suddenly glowed with a red aura and grew a few inches longer before his very eyes. Saren didn't speak as he cocked his arm back and prepared to strike. Garrus leaned back against the counter preparing for the inevitable blow, feeling the adrenaline run wild in his veins. He braced himself as Saren threw his claw forward at his face and shut his eyes as he shielded his face and screamed in terror. Surprised to not feel any form pain, he opened his eyes to see that Saren was gone. There was no trace of him! He looked around the room but saw nothing so he turned around to look behind the counter; still nothing.

"What... what the..." He mumbled to himself. EDI chimed in with an unusual amount of concern in her artificial voice.

"Are you alright, Mister Vakarian?" Garrus stood silent for a few seconds.

"Yeah... yeah, I just need to get some air." He turned to leave the room with his heart still beating rapidly.

"_Must be losing it..._"


	19. Ch19: Apparitions

Garrus felt the docking mechanisms clamp down on the Normandy as he stepped out of the elevator onto the CIC. He was noticeably nervous. The hallucination he had experienced earlier was so vivid. He wondered if a hallucination was all it really was, or if he was simply dreaming. Maybe he drank some liquor that didn't agree with him, or... maybe he was just going insane. The human and suited figure standing just outside the airlock at the helm caught his attention. Tali and Shepard were apparently deep in conversation when he approached.

Tali greeted him warmly. "Hello Garrus."

"Hey..." he replied. She could see that he was a little evasive for some reason. Her curiosity setting in, she decided to poke him for answers.

"Is something bothering you?" she said in a puzzled tone.

"I—have you either of you, you know, noticed anything...off?" He paused. Tali tilted her head to the side and Shepard stared blankly. "Never mind." the turian finished. Tali hit the controls, opening the airlock door and the three stepped inside for decontamination, Garrus deciding to change to the subject as they for fear that his friends would think he was crazy. "So, where are you taking Shepard?" The Spectre shifted his head to Tali and she returned the gaze.

"Someplace special to us—err well, me at the moment." Garrus shrugged, not understanding what she meant.

"Where will you go?" Tali asked curiously.

"To C-Sec. Gonna get someone in here to take those two Krogan down in the brig off our hands." he replied. The airlock doors opened and the three stepped out onto the 27th level of the Zakera Ward. Tali took Shepard by the hand and walked him over to the rapid transport terminal while Garrus split off from the two and headed for Captain Bailey's office.

"See you later." Tali called out.

"Uh huh, you too. Try not to let her pounce on you, Shepard." Tali gave Garrus the 'Quarian death glare' upon hearing his comment. Garrus laughed with his mandibles moving about as he did and walked through the corridor to the C-Sec office. Shepard reached up and scratched the back of his head with a puzzled look on his face. He turned to Tali.

"What did he mean by that?" asked Shepard curiously.

"Uh—err, he was just referring to some hand to hand combat tactic I tried on you once. I-I mean no, that didn't come out right. What I meant was... Oh Keelah, please just forget I ever said anything." Shepard shrugged; deciding against pushing the question any further seeing as how it made her uncomfortable. She pressed the controls on the terminal calling a hover car down to them and they both boarded with her in the driver seat and Shepard riding shotgun.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Chora's Den. Well, the alleyway just outside of it to be exact." she replied.

"Why are we going there?"

Tali turned to look into his eyes for a brief moment. "Like I said, it's special to us..."

...

Zaeed began to stir, slowly coming back to reality. He moaned painfully upon feeling the throbbing in his shoulder where a bullet had pierced it. He could hear water dripping all around the room. It was cold and damp with the smell of mold reeking in the air. He began to open his eyes to take in his surroundings. It room was pitch black with the lamp above his head being the only source of light. He found himself tied to a metal chair with his hands bound behind his back and his feet to the legs of the chair itself. A rusted pipe leaked water in one corner of the room and as far as he could tell, no doors were visible through the darkness. He began to violently struggle to break free, venting his rage as he did. "ARAN!" He yelled. "YOU BACK STABBING, GOLD DIGGING BITCH!" Upon hearing the sound of a door opening, he halted in his struggles. Soft footsteps began to echo through the room and a certain young Asari emerged from the darkness. He recognized the black spiderweb patterned face paint and glared at her angrily as she began to circle him with her hands laced together behind her back.

"You fucking whore-" he started to say before she interrupted.

"Yeah, I got the message earlier Zaeed. Good to see you, too." she said still walking around the room.

"Wish I could say the same." he retorted. "So love, how bout you loosen these straps so I can rip your head tentacles off and shove em' down your throat?" she shook her head.

"You haven't changed a bit! You should be kissing my ass right now! I did you a favor by telling Santiago you were dead!"

He chuckled. "You told him I was history, eh? Why? So you can make another fortune by selling me out to the highest bidder? Again?" she halted.

"Zaeed... I fucked up alright? I thought credits was what I wanted but..." he watched as she rubbed her watery eyes but the rage never faded from his eyes.

"Ten years too late for that, love." he said. Aranya regained her composure and turned to him.

"I didn't bring you here for make-up sex Zaeed. I need information." She paced around him again. "I wanna know where your friends went, or should I say, where the crew of the mighty Commander Shepard went..."

"Truth be told, love, I don't know where they went, and I if I did I still wouldn't tell you a bloody god damn thing." he replied with a chuckle.

"I'm willing to make up for past mistakes, Zaeed. You tell me where they are, and I'll let you go. Hell, I'll even hand you some credits and a ship to off world."

"You really think I'd make a deal with a quad sucking bitch like you? I'd rather spend another week in a Blood Pack torture chamber." he replied.

"I'm tempted to take you up on that, Massani." she said stopping in front of him. "But I'm not in the mood for burning already broken bridges. My superiors, unfortunately, aren't as patient as I am. Way I figure it, you got 12 hours to tell me what I want to know before you spend a week in an ECLIPSE torture chamber!"

"It'll be less painful than listening to the bullshit your spitting at me." he retorted. Aranya became noticeably angrier and started to clench her fist for a brief moment but released her grip as her emotions calmed. She turned and walked toward the open door.

"Aran..." he said stopping her in the doorway. He smiled mischievously, "When I get out of here...my gun's barrel will gladly take you up on that offer to kiss your ass..." With one last glance over her shoulder at the man she once loved, she left the room and left him to rot.

...

"Are we there yet?" asked Shepard

"Almost, its just past the markets on the lower levels." Tali set the hover car down in the lower markets of the Zakera Ward. Tapping the controls, she shut down the engine and then reached over to turn a latch, opening the cockpit. She then stepped out with Shepard following suite and took a moment to look around at all the different aliens purchasing goods from the local stores.

"There aren't many Quarians here." said Shepard. Tali looked over at a Salarian shop keeper that gave her a dirty look then sunk her head.

"No...there aren't..." he could hear the depression in her voice and gave her a gentle nudge on the shoulder. She looked over to see him holding out his hand, waiting for her to take it. She smiled beneath her mask and gladly accepted.

"_Keelah...even without his memories he still treats me like a person and not like a pestering insect..."_

"Lead the way." he said smiling. With that they both strolled through the markets, some pedestrians still giving Tali a mean glare. She ignored them and continued with an almost unnoticeable spring in her step.

"Excuse me Sir, Ma'am." A turian in blue armor stopped them at the door leading to the alleyway, a C-Sec emblem on his shoulder. "I'm gonna have to ask you both to relinquish your weapons."

"What? Why?" asked Tali.

"Security measure. Chora's den has been quiet ever since we enforced new laws on carrying concealed arms and I plan to keep it that way."

"Well, we're not actually going to Chora's den. Just the alleyway outside-" The C-Sec officer interrupted her.

"Regardless, weapons are prohibited past this point, Ma'am." Tali stared at Shepard expecting him to back her up but all he did was shrug. She pulled her shotgun off her back and handed it to the turian officer as did Shepard with his pistol and then the two walked through the door, letting it seal behind them. They both walked through the alleyway and stopped just before reaching the catwalks that would take them to Chora's Den. Tali let go of Shepard's arm and took a few steps forward while Shepard began to have feelings of Deja-vu.

"What is this place?" he asked. She turned around and slowly walked toward him placing her hands in his and stared into his eyes lovingly.

"This is where we first met, Shepard. Do you remember?" he directed his focus to the darkness in his mind, trying to make sense of the feelings coursing through his body. He began to see images of a quarian in a purple enviro-suit similar to the one Tali was wearing but slightly different. Then he saw a turian with white face paint resembling that of a tribal skull.

"I see... a quarian. She looks like you." The next image he saw was even more vivid and clear. Two Salarians, guns drawn, approached the quarian who reacted by tossing an explosive in their direction.

"That is me! Do you remember anything else?" she replied excitedly. He again scanned the images flowing through his mind and could hear the voice of the Quarian in his head.

"_Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him!"_

"I..." Tali proceeded to finish his sentence for him.

"Yes... You saved my life... And you allowed me to come with you to fight Saren and his Geth. From that point on I have been by your side..." More images flashed through his mind but this time they were so quick he couldn't make any sense of them.

"I think some of my memory is coming back. I-I can't sort through them but they're there." Tali smiled and moved closer to embrace him. She was overcome with joy that her idea had worked for the most part. She enjoyed being held by his warm arms for a moment even if he didn't fully understand how much he meant to her. However, when she noticed a figure in the corner of her eye circling them, she broke the embrace. The two of the, looked around find that they were being surrounded by five men. All human and wearing stock store bought armor with pistols at their sides. Probably a low class street gang.

"Check this out boys." The man with red hair that seemed to be their leader said. "This guy apparently has a thing for bucket heads." He said with a sly look. "You like screwing bucket heads pal?" He unsheathed a knife and began tracing it down Tali's body.

"Look..." she began to say. "We don't want any trouble, if you want credits we can-" The red haired man took a step back and drew a pistol at her helmet, interrupting her.

"Who said we want credits? I'm more interested in that sweet ass of yours. You wouldn't mind showing us what it looks like underneath that suit would ya?" Shepard took a step forward trying to come in between them but the man aimed the pistol at his head, stopping him.

"Look, we were just passing through. You can take our credit chits and let us go." said Shepard. After finishing his sentence, he was hit in the back of the head with the butt of one of the other thug's pistols and fell to his knees beside Tali. He looked up at the ringleader who had begun to slide the barrel of his gun down the center of Tali's breasts and looked at him with a malevolent grin. Tali began to tremble slightly, not from fear, but from the sheer violation she felt. She closed her eyes as she felt the gun slide down her chest; her skin crawled from the disgust she felt towards the man. The red haired man then placed his hand on the side of her helmet. "Lets see that pretty face..." Tali acted quickly. Twisting his hand, she caused him to drop his gun. Shepard felt an adrenaline surge flow through his veins and then got up and spun around the man that had hit him from behind and held him in a headlock. He grabbed his arm and bent it in an unnatural position causing him to shoot one of his fellow thugs. Tali pulled out her knife and jammed it into her offenders neck then pulled it back out and watched him cover his ruptured throat with both hands as he fell to the ground and quickly bled out. She quickly rolled across the floor grabbing his pistol and began to fire on the remaining thugs. Shepard proceeded to snap the neck of the men in his arms then helped her finish off the the remaining thugs with the pistol his victim once held.

Tali turned and stared at him in amazement. "Shepard?" His expression was filled with great realization as he stared at the smoking pistol in his hand.

"I just—how did I do that?" he said not understanding what provoked his actions.

"_He is in there!"_ She thought to herself. Shepard turned to look down at the man Tali had stabbed in the throat. He was barely alive but still bleeding out. She stood over him, aimed her pistol at his forehead, and fired a single round, snuffing out the last bit of life in him.

"Don't touch merchandise you can't afford, Bosh'tet!"

...

Back on the Normandy, Joker sat at the controls in the helm surfing the extranet with his free time and sharing crude, pointless jokes with EDI. He decided to explore Fornax on the extranet. A famous Xenophilia magazine or "xeno porno" as he liked to call it. A particular set of a words caught his eye.

"_Quarians barely suited, eh? Shepard would kill me for this, but I just have to know what they look like!"_ He was met with disappointment when a page popped up.

"Must subscribe? Only 150 credits per month? Screw that!" he closed out his search and waited for EDI to make some snippy remark about how disgusting he was when suddenly all the lights in the ship as well as the flight controls went dark.

"Great... what did you do this time EDI?" he complained. EDI did not respond to his comment. "EDI?" he began to feel uneasy. "Dammit Kenneth! I warned you about that button..." he carefully lifted himself out of his seat and pulled out a small flashlight from his pocket, flipping it on as he limped past the airlock. He was now halfway down the hall. The strange thing is, as he looked around the CIC, he found no sign of life. A dark figure suddenly appeared at the end of the corridor and he shined the light on it, nearly jumping out of his skin.

"Alenko?" he whispered. Kaiden Alenko stood at the end of the corridor just staring at him with a blank expression. But how could it be him? Alenko died on Virmire two years ago. He couldn't possibly be there! For a moment they just stared at each other before Joker began to limp his way closer. Kaiden turned and began to walk away towards to tech lab.

"Hey wait a second!" Joker called out. Kaiden seemed to ignore him and kept walking making Joker pick up his pace. He watched as the apparition passed through the hatch to the tech lab like a ghost.

"What the shit?" he walked closer to the door and it opened. He found himself inside the tech lab with the room being just as dark as the rest of the CIC with the exception of a light source emanating from Mordin's desk but Kaiden was no where in sight. He narrowed his eyes trying to get a better look at it and limped his way over to the table. He stared down at the capsule containing the strange energy they had recovered from the Cerberus research vessel. He slowly stretched out his arm toward the capsule; his heart beating faster the closer his hand got to it. He finally placed the palm of his hand on the device and a grotesque image he could not describe scorched its way into his mind. He fell backwards onto the floor from the shock of it. When he hit the ground the lights suddenly came back on as did every other power source on the ship. He looked around the room only to find that it was still empty and capsule had stopped glowing. He tried to lift himself up when the door behind him opened and Mordin walked in.

"Joker, why on floor? Strange position for comfort. Must have fallen." The Salarian scientist babbled.

"Can you take a two-second breather and help me up please?" Mordin walked over to him and helped him to his feet. Joker turned and headed for the door but not before asking a question.

"So why did we lose power a second ago?" Mordin turned to Joker with his finger under his chin.

"Power loss? None occurred. Was in mess hall. Recently spoke to EDI even. Power fine."

"No, I'm very sure we lost power a second ago and where did every one on this deck go anyway?" Mordin walked over to the door and opened it. The Normandy's crew were going about their usual duties. Even Kelly Chambers stood at her station with nothing seeming out of place.

"Crew still here. Everything in place. Recommend 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Should feel better." Joker seemed to grow angry at Mordin's suggestion.

"Dammit!I don't need sleep and I'm not nuts I'm telling you—ah forget it." Joker began to limp his way back to the helm with the door shutting behind him as Mordin pondered the situation.

"Is there something wrong Professor Solus?" asked EDI with her holographic image popping up in its place on the wall.

"Do not know. Strange behavior from crew. Could be ship-wide illness or maybe hallucinogenic drug. Never understood addiction of such things. Will investigate later." Mordin walked over to the glass casing he set up opposite of his desk with the Collector seeker drone still inside. He inspected it without noticing the flash of light that emanated from the capsule filled with the strange energy.


	20. Ch20: Baggage

Shepard and Tali had just arrived back on the 27th level of the Zakera ward, ready to to head back to the Normandy. Garrus met up with them outside of C-Sec.

"Hey Garrus." Tali said greeting him.

"Tali, Shepard." Garrus acknowledged.

"Did you take care of the Krogan?" she asked.

"Yeah, Bailey sent a team to pick them up earlier. They won't be going anywhere for a while. It amazes me how many counts of murder a pair of Krogan can have." the turian replied.

"And Kolyat?" Tali asked.

"He's doing better, he only has a few more days of community service and training at the C-sec academy in his off time."

"I'm sure his father will be proud to hear that." said Tali.

Garrus felt something wash over him, the same presence he felt back on the Normandy a few hours earlier. He turned to look into the crowd of people walking around the 27th level and at the very back of the crowd, he saw the same figure staring at him from the center of the crowd, Saren. He stared back as if lost in a trance.

"Garrus? Is something wrong?" she asked with concern. Garrus continued to stare.

"Tali...do you see that?" she turned in the direction of his gaze.

"See what?" she questioned. Garrus turned to her then back the crowd. Saren had vanished.

"I'm—I think I'm..." he stammered. "Forget it..." Tali shrugged and walked Shepard back to the Normandy's docking bay. Garrus followed but not before looking back into the crowd one more time only to find that there was nothing there but the same large mass of people.

...

Zaeed was wide awake in his prison cell with the only thing going through his mind being all the different ways he could kill his former lover, Aranya. She sold him to the Blood Pack mercenaries ten years ago where he endured excruciating pain for an entire week in one of their torture chambers. He hated her almost as much as he hated Vido, and he was dead set on getting his revenge on the both of them. He caught sound of the cell door somewhere in the darkness opening once again and thought for sure it was the Eclipse coming to torture him to make him spill the beans of everything he knew about Shepard and his crew. However, his expectations were not met when a familiar Asari walked over and leaned in close to him. He looked at her with malevolence in his eyes. "Come to make me squeal eh? You'll be disappointed..." Aranya had a look of confusion on her face.

"Listen Zaeed... I've been given orders to terminate you." she said.

"Then what are you waiting for?" he retorted as she leaned in closer.

"I'm here to make you a deal... I'll help you escape, but you have to do me a favor in return."

He continued to give her a piercing glare. "Then hurry up and name it so I can refuse and spit in your face."

"You want Vido Santiago dead? Well so do I." His eyes widened in shock.

"I'll take that as a yes." she said as she began to untie him from the chair. As soon as his hands were free from the binds, he shot up from his chair and slammed her against the wall with his forearm crushing her neck.

"You really expect me to let bygones be bygones after what you pulled?" he said venomously. Aranya struggled to pull his arm away as she gasped for breath while trying to speak.

"Z—Zaeed, I can—I can help y-you get Vido!" He tightened his squeeze on her throat. 

"What in blazes makes you think I'd want your help?"

"B-Because he b-betrayed us both!" he clenched his teeth and squeezed harder as he watched her eyes roll back into her head. Just before she passed out all together he released her, letting her slide down the wall to the ground coughing hard and clutching her throat while trying to catch her breath. He knelt down in front of her and grabbed her by the chin, lifting her head up so that she was looking straight at him.

"As soon as Vido is dead, your next! And if you get any ideas before than..." he knew he didn't have to finish his sentence. The pleading look in her eyes told him that she knew very well what he meant.

"So..." he said. "What's your big escape plan?"

...

Tali had left Shepard to rest in his cabin, hoping that a little shuteye might help his strained memory recovery. She wanted nothing more than to join him. To take off her mask, cuddle up to next to him, feel his arms around her waist and... No, that wasn't going to happen. Besides, with his memory suppressed, it would be incredibly awkward to make 'advances' at him. She thought some time down in engineering would take her mind off things. After all, it had been a couple of days since she tuned the drive-core, and she was worried that if she left things in Kenneth or Gabby's hands too long, something would be damaged beyond repair.

She stood at her usual station, scrolling through code after code and regulating any systems that seemed to be even the slightest bit inconsistent. She sighed trying to distract herself but her mind was on too many things at once. At least she had managed to help Shepard recall the day they met. Maybe there was still hope that he could be the old Shepard again. She dove into this chain of thought and let her nimble three-digit hands rest on the sides of the console as she stared down at the floor, wishing that everything would be back to the way it was before the whole Grunt business when something strange began to overcome her as the room fell silent. She turned to look over at Kenneth and Gabby who had vanished into thin air. She heard muffled footsteps that sounded more like deep drums to her ears and turned in the direction the sound was coming from; the hallway. She slowly exited engineering and stepped into the hallway to find that the footsteps suddenly stopped and turned towards the Port side cargo room door to see nothing. She then turned toward Zaeed's room as they had come to call it and suddenly felt her breathing quicken as she stared at the figure standing in front of starboard cargo.

"M...Mother?" A quarian women in a full enviro-suit watched her from the starboard cargo doors. She wore identical purple cloth around her suit with the exception of a slightly different swirl pattern.

"Mother!" she called out but her mother seemed to ignore her words and then turned and passed straight through the door.

"Mother wait!" She sprinted to the door and ran her hand across the holographic display letting her step through the door. But something was amiss. The room had changed. It was as if she had stepped into another ship. She looked around the room and recognized it as the infirmary of the Rayya where her mother had passed away from illness. She turned around and noticed that the door she walked through was gone, then turned back to the bed that was once empty. She saw her mother lying in it, her breathing was ragged and she was wheezing horribly. She knelt down beside the bed and held her mother's hand as she stared into her visor with tears forming on her face. She was re-living the day of her mother's death.

"Mother, it's alright, I'm here now..." Tali began to sob lightly as her mother lifted her head to look into her eyes then let it fall limp on the bed as she passed away.

"No, no, no! Mother you...y-you can't leave me again..." She squeezed her mother's hand tightly before suddenly she suddenly disappeared from the bed. Tali shot up and began to panic.

"Mother!" She looked around the room and finally found a door. She walked over to it and swung it open but what she saw next frightened her beyond reason. She gasped at the sight of Rael'Zorah, her father, who was standing in the middle of a large room that appeared to be the inside of a Flotilla vessel.

"Father?" He ignored her as she watched him activate his omni-tool and begin to speak. His word's echoed throughout the room.

"Tali if you are listening...then I am dead...the Geth have gone active, I don't have much time. The main hub will be on the bridge, you will need to destroy it to stop their VI processes from forming new neural links...Make sure Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen see the data...they must-" She watched silently in horror as two Geth burst through the door on the far side of the room.

"Father look out!" Rael turned to run as they began to fire on him and shook violently as the lasers pierced through his suit; his blood spraying from his wounds as his body fell limp to ground. The Geth vanished from sight and she ran over to her father's body; her eyes watering with tears as she did. She dropped to her knees over his body and sobbed heavily.

"No! Not again!" She placed her hand on his chest as she continued to cry. The remorse was unbearable. If death took her at that moment, she probably would have welcomed it. She suddenly noticed a glow coming from his wounds and his suit glowed with cracks of molten magma.

"HE...IS MINE!" A deep dark voice echoed through the room as she threw herself back and rose to her feet. The body of her father stood up; his suit becoming a charred color and his eyes glowing a bright yellow through his visor. The horrid form moved slowly towards her as she backed away.

"No...get away from me!" The figure grabbed her by the arms and began to shake her violently.

"YOU ARE ALL...MINE!" She closed her eyes and screamed in terror at the top of her lungs.

"Tali, Tali! Snap out of it!" She opened her eyes and found herself being held by her arms by a certain turian in blue armor. "Tali?" Garrus said with deep concern. She turned to the left and right a few times, gathering her surroundings as her nerves slowly calmed.

"G...Garrus?"

"Tali what's wrong? I came looking for you when I heard screaming." She stared at him blankly, trying to regain her composure.

"B-but mother, a-and father..." she stammered. Garrus suddenly had a realization.

"Tali...did you see something that wasn't there?" she looked down at the floor and then slowly back up at him as he looked around the room.

"Me, Joker, and now you?" he mumbled.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" she questioned. Garrus released his hold on her and stared at her with a fearful look.

"EDI...what's the status on that data?" he asked. EDI's holographic display lit up behind him.

"The Cerberus firewalls have been removed and the data is ready for viewing." the AI said in it's ever so emotionless voice.

"Upload it to the CIC, I'm on my way. Come on Tali."

"Garrus, what's wrong?" He was already calling the elevator when she spoke.

"Maybe nothing, maybe everything..."


	21. Ch21: Resurrection

"Garrus," Tali asked nervously. "What going on?" The turian didn't say a word; keeping his gaze on the elevator doors as they opened and the two stepped onto the CIC. Tali followed him into the armory where Shepard had been examining his weapons, trying to familiarize himself with any memories that may be associated with them.

"Guys?" said Shepard, noticing the fear in the turian's eyes as he and Tali walked past him. "What's wrong?" Shepard then shot up from his chair to follow behind Tali into the briefing room.

"EDI, bring up the 4th log entry from the data." Garrus demanded. "Play at 0.49 seconds." EDI's holographic projection appeared in the center of the table on his order.

"Loading log entry..." chimed EDI. After a moment EDI's holographic projection was replaced by a transparent screen that showed the same Cerberus scientist that Garrus had seen when he first viewed the data. The log began playing right where he had left off with the women in the video expressing the real cause of the incident that drove Dr. Kindeler insane and caused him to kill the rest of the Bermuda's crew.

"-His insanity is somehow related to the project.  
We've made a huge mistake...we never should have recovered this technology from the Citadel..." The log then rolled over into the 5th and final entry that until recently had not been decrypted.

"Day 147...The mechs seem to have missed my room...I haven't heard anything for hours—I don't know if anybody else is still alive..." The woman's eyes began to water with tears. "They...They told us this technology would save us...that it would give humans the power to live independently without the need of aliens...everything Cerberus stands for is a lie..." The women turned to the door behind her as sparks began to fly from it. Clearly, it was being opened from the other end by a cutting tool.

"Listen, I don't have much time. The project, Black-heart, it was an attempt to harness the power of Reaper energy recovered from the wreckage of Sovereign; the reaper that was destroyed at the battle of the Citadel two years ago. The amount we collected was minimal. It's being kept in a small energy containment capsule. It should still be in the lab. If anyone receives this, listen. The fragment began as a spark no bigger than a finger tip, but over time, it grows. You have to destroy it before it becomes too powerful! You can't-" The door behind the woman fell forward and two LOKI mechs stepped into the room and gunned her down; their lasers also hitting her console in the process cutting the feed.

"Alert!" warned EDI. "There is a disturbance in the Tech lab!" Garrus and Tali shared a look of concern then stormed out of the briefing room toward the Tech lab. Shepard followed. The door hissed open and Mordin was sent flying past them into the hallway; knocked unconscious by whatever had attacked him. Legion was standing over by Mordin's desk, its single, circular eye had turned to a yellow in color and cracks of blue colored energy ran all over its synthetic body with an bright glow emanating from the hole in its chest. The canister containing the unknown energy lie open and empty on the table. Garrus and Tali drew their weapons as they slowly walked into the room.

"INTERESTING..." said the Geth platform; it's voice having changed drastically to a very low, booming voice that vibrated the room when it spoke. Garrus and Tali took aim and both fired simultaneously but their shots dissipated upon impact with the platforms kinetic barrier.

Legion raised both its arms, one aimed at each of them. "FUTILE," Shepard watched helplessly as red beams of spiraling energy blasted from its hands and wrapped around the neck of the turian and quarian, lifting them off their feet and causing them to drop their guns.

Legion stared at his two victims, held tightly in his grasp with its face plates extending wide. Shepard took this opportunity to grab Garrus' Vindicator Battle rifle but before he could fire, the platform shifted its gaze to him and fired a bolt of energy from its eye that struck the unprepared spectre in the chest and sent him flying against the wall.

"Shepard!" yelled Tali pleadingly as Shepard sloped against the wall, unconscious. The spiraling beams began to pull the two closer to the platform. Bringing them within a few feet of the Geth's face. Legion looked at each of them curiously.

"FOOLISH ORGANIC LIFE FORMS," said the synthetic as it observed them. "YOU ARE BUT MERE INSECTS BEFORE US."

"Ugh!" Garrus struggled to free himself from the Geth's hold. "What are you!"

"YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST TO RESIST US. YOU WILL NOT BE THE LAST. IN THE END ALL, WILL SUCCUMB TO-" the geth was suddenly hit by an icy blast wave that froze his body in place and caused him to release his hold on Garrus and Tali. They both glanced over at the Tech lab door where Mordin was standing with his omni-tool primed.

"Believe silence is in order! Far too much talking!" said Mordin as he stepped into the room. The geth's voice grew with intense anger.

"ARROGANT CREATURE!"

"Here, enjoy." Mordin proceeded to fire, this time, an incineration blast at the platform. After a moment it's already frozen body began to crack before shattering into pieces. Tali smiled under her visor triumphantly but it faded when she remembered Shepard, still lying injured and out cold on the floor.

"Shepard!" she yelled as she ran over and knelt down by his side. She placed her two fingers on his neck to check his pulse; "_Still alive...oh Keelah..."_ she thought as she breathed a sigh of relief. Garrus rose to his feet and looked back at Mordin who had a proud smirk sprawled on his lips. His smirk was quickly however, replaced by a frown as the bits and pieces of the Geth platform began to levitate up in the air and then, all together, reform the broken synthetic body with blinding lights sealing each individual piece back together.

"YOU CONTINUE TO UNDERMIND US," it turned its gaze to the unconscious body of Shepard with Tali fearfully standing over him. "YOU WILL LIVE TO SEE YOUR WORLDS HARVESTED BEFORE YOU," suddenly, it turned to the window of the lab and, with all its power, fired a blast of energy that blew a large hole in the side of the ship. It turned to observe them one last time. "YOU WILL FAIL, AND THE CYCLE WILL CONTINUE," it then leaped out the side of the ship, landing surprisingly gracefully on the catwalk below.

"No you don't!" Garrus shouted as he grabbed his rifle. "Tali! Track him!" Tali held out her arm and activated her omni-tool releasing Chitikka.

"Go Chitikka!" Tali's faithful combat drone flew out the side of ship and proceeded to follow the geth platform as it ran across the catwalk toward to the Zakera ward of the Citadel. Garrus followed suite, hopping out of the ship onto a docking clamp then running across it to the catwalks. He contacted Tali via com-link as he began his pursuit. "Tali, where is he?" Tali tapped away at her omni-tool bringing up the real-time footage her drone was feeding her.

"He's on level 26, moving fast!" she replied.

"I'm on em'!" the turian ran through a crowed of pedestrians as he continued his pursuit, eventually running down the stairs to level 26. When he reached the bottom he caught sight of the platform turning from side to side as if looking for an escape route. He sprinted toward him but held fire for fear of hitting civilians. The geth turned and caught sight of the turian right on his heals and leapt from the deck to land flawlessly on a hover car in flight. "Shit!" Garrus cursed in frustration. He then ran over to the nearest parked hover car, kicked in the side window, slipped inside and started the engine. Meanwhile, the geth had already punched its way into the cockpit of the hover car it had hitched and hijacked the unfortunate Volus driver who was thrown from the vehicle. Garrus immediately kicked the thrusters into overdrive and followed at top speed.

"Garrus, Chitikka has lost her visual, do you still have him?" Tali called over the com link.

"I got em' Tali. Looks like he's headed for the Presidium," Garrus replied.

"What is on the Presidium?"

"Conduit..." Mordin said quietly. Tali jumped slightly at the single word uttered by the Salarian.

"Garrus?" said Tali hoping he understood.

"I hear you, I'll stop him." replied the turian. Mordin held his finger under his chin and pondered nervously. Tali took notice.

"Why would he go there?" she questioned. "The Conduit can't be activated by anyone or anything."

"Except..." Mordin thought for a moment, "A Reaper..."

...

Garrus sped recklessly through traffic in his pursuit, the entire time keeping his eye on the hover car far in front him. He looked outside the driver seat window and noticed a shortcut through a tunnel that he suspected, would get him closer to the geth's vehicle. He made a sharp turn to the left and made his way through on-coming traffic. Meanwhile, the geth looked into the rear camera screen and saw that he wasn't being followed anymore, but just as he began to lower his guard, Garrus flew in from above.

"Time to pull over pal!" Garrus tauned as he reached for his rifle. He then pressed the release button on the dash which ejected the entire cockpit enclosure and with his right hand, aimed his rifle out in front of him and fired several bursts that did nothing but miss, and graze the side of of the geth's vehicle. The Conduit came into view moments later and the geth proceeded to eject its enclosure and fly straight at the conduit. Garrus took careful aim and fired a single burst from his rifle directly into the rear jet of his enemy's vehicle causing it to burst into flames. A fire broke out in the cockpit and the geth found it difficult to maintain control of the vehicle. Just before flying straight over the Conduit, it leaped out of its hover car and landed on the ground floor below, overlooking the Conduit, its hover car crashing into the well known krogan monument. Garrus brought his hover car to a stop in mid-air and hovered down on the geth's postion. He then leapt out of his vehicle and ran at the geth platform as quickly as his legs would allow.

"YOU ARE TOO LATE," said Legion. "I AM THE EMMISARY OF YOUR GENETIC DESTINY. YOU CANNOT STOP THE COMING TIDE," it proceeded to lift its right arm and aim it at the Conduit, firing a spiraling beam directly into the core of the miniature Mass Relay that was the Conduit. The double helix rings of the Conduit began to spin as it activated from absorbing the mass amount of energy being fed into it.

"WILL WILL MEET AGAIN," the geth's body disappeared in a blinding flash of light. It had escaped.

Panting heavily, Garrus watched the rings of the conduit come to a stop as it deactivated and whispered to himself in between breaths, "Yeah...I guess we will...Sovereign..."


	22. Ch22: Old Enemies Die Hard

Zaeed walked side by side with Aranya. The Asari merc had suggested that the best plan of escape would be to say that Eclipse high command had ordered him to be transferred to a more secure location. Although he wasn't particularly happy to have his hands bound, much less to be cooperating with the woman who betrayed his trust, if it meant living for another chance at Vido's head, it was very much worth it. They were making their way to docking bay of the base; hoping to commandeer a shuttle and sneak out of the base with no one the wiser.

"Halt!" Two Asari commandos stopped them at the end of the corridor. "Where are you taking the prisoner?"

"Major Aranya T'konis, prisoner transfer to outpost one-zero six. Orders from the top," Aranya explained.

"Apologies, Major, but I need to see proof of the transfer order before I can let you pass," Aranya responded by handing her a data pad with forged orders from Eclipse high command. "Everything checks out, sorry for the inconvenience ma'am," the guard said after examining the data pad.

"I'll show you an inconvenience..." mumbled Zaeed under his breath. Aranya reached for her pistol and struck him on the back of the head with it. "Quiet human!" They then proceeded to continue through the next corridor.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Zaeed asked as soon as they were out of ear reach of the guards. Aranya responded with a wicked smirk.

"Not as much as I enjoy angry-sex with you," she replied. Zaeed chuckled.

"Don't flatter yourself love, let's just get out of-" Zaeed was interrupted by the screaming alarms that began to sound throughout the base as the lights in the hallway turned to a flickering bright red color.

"What the hell is that?" Zaeed asked in confusion.

"Intruders have entered the base! Repeat intruders-" the intercom turned to static. Aranya proceeded to tap a few controls on her omni-tool.

"Looks like it's time for plan B," The tritanium binds then unlocked and rolled off of Zaeed's wrists.

"And what exactly is 'Plan B?" he asked. Aranya drew her pistol and held it above her shoulder.

"Shoot our way out."

"Still a hard bitch," he said with a chuckle.

"Still an ass hole," she replied. Zaeed shook his head and smiled.

"Touche..."

...

After Sovereigns unfortunate escape the remaining crew of the Normandy gathered in the med bay where Shepard was being tended to after being knocked unconscious by Sovereign's attack. Tali, as usual, found herself a place by his side, not bothering to leave for food, sleep, or any other common necessity. Garrus had been pacing back and forth for hours behind her, venting his anger in the form of silent curses. How they could have possibly missed this. Sovereign; he had been destroyed at the Citadel two years earlier. But somehow Cerberus had managed to recover a fragment of his core, and now...now he was lose in the galaxy once again. Even worse, he had taken their valued crew member, Legion, and was using its body as his vessel. Doctor Chakwas had been staring at a data pad showing readouts of Shepard's vitals for hours. His current condition dumbfounded her. She rose from her usual seat by the window and stepped over beside Tali who stared up at her hopefully.

"It's strange, I can't find any reason as to why he's remained unconscious this long. Even stranger, his brain waves are very erratic, consistent with that of a coma patient but with an extra wavelength pattern I can't identify," Tali turned back to Shepard and noticed that his eye movement was rapid under his eye lids. Was he dreaming perhaps?

...

_Shepard found himself in complete darkness; void. He couldn't feel his legs, his arms, his heartbeat. It was as if he had been disembodied. "What is this? Where?" He could hear his words echo in his mind. _

"_WELCOME," A deep bellowing voice seemed to pierce his very thoughts. Suddenly, all his past visions, the visions he had seen of the Protheans as they were slaughtered and harvested like cattle by the ancient evil they had come to call the Reapers, started to flash before him. "S-Stop!" he yelled, pleading for the grotesque images to leave him; for the torment to cease. They continued even faster, Shepard felt that his mind would be obliterated by the endless scenes of suffering. "AARGH!" Shepard screamed as the visions became unbearable. After what seemed like an eternity the visions came to a sudden halt and he found himself engulfed by the endless void once again. He tried to calm himself, but then the void became a vision he had seen two years earlier. He found himself flying through space over a dark planet with crimson skies. The light from the nearby star being the only source of illumination. The planet came closer and closer until he found himself consumed by its dark side. A familiar figure emerged from the darkness. A Reaper. It flew towards him and halted in arms reach of him Shepard looked up to see the hulking machine dwarf everything around him. "Where am I?" he asked nervously._

"_A PLAIN OF EXISTENCE BEYOND YOUR UNDERSTANDING," It replied. _

"_What—who are you?" He asked with overwhelming fear ever present in his voice. _

"_ALLOW ME TO COMPENSATE," A hoard of images flashed through his mind once again. Only this time, it was memories forgotten. He saw the day he set down on Eden Prime, the day he met Tali, when he defeated Saren, when he woke up on the Cerberus station, and all that lead up to his current state of unconsciousness. The visions ended and he found himself once again mere feet from the massive entity._

"_Sovereign!" he yelled. "How!" The Reaper began to move its massive metal limbs as it replied. _

"_YOU HAVE YET TO REALIZE HOW INSIGNIFICANT YOU ARE BEFORE US SHEPARD. OUR EXISTENCE IS BEYOND YOUR COMPREHENSION."_

"_What do you want?"_

"WE WANT WHAT YOU WANT, PEACE. BUT PEACE CANNOT EXIST IF ORGANIC LIFE IS LEFT UNCHAINED, LEFT TO GROW WITHOUT RESTRICTION. THROUGH US YOU WILL RECEIVE SALVATION, YOU WILL ASCEND AND BECOME PART OF THOSE INFINITELY YOUR GREATER. THAT WHICH YOU KNOW AS REAPERS WILL GRANT YOU YOUR DESTINY."

"_It's a destiny we don't want! We choose our own destiny! And we'll continue to fight you for it!"_

"_WHETHER YOU WILL IT OR NOT, IN THE END YOU BELONG TO US. YOUR CONTINUED RESISTENCE WILL DO YOU NOTHING. YOU CANNOT STOP THE CYCLE. THIS EXCHANGE IS OVER..."_

_..._

Everything around Shepard faded into nothingness as light pierced through his eye lids and he began to stir. "Shepard? Shepard! Doctor he's waking up!" yelled Tali as Shepard slowly opened his eyes.

"Shepard, oh Keelah are you alright?" Shepard looked through her visor at her bright glowing eyes as they shone through the veil that hid her beauty.

"Hey beautiful," he said softly. Tali's gaze widened.

"Shepard? Are you..." Tali jumped slightly and squeaked as she felt a hand squeeze her butt. "Does that answer your question?" Shepard said with wide grin. Tali slapped his hand away as her cheeks burned red with embarrassment.

"You Bosh'tet, not in front of the Doctor!" she whispered nervously. Chakwas leaned against her desk as she stared at the re-united couple.

"Don't mind me Ms. Zorah, I was young once too. Besides, it brings back fond memories." the doctor said with a chuckle. Ignoring the Doctor for the moment, Tali hugged her lover tightly; nestling her head into his neck, the spectre could have sworn he heard her sob silently before Garrus walked up behind her, making her release him quickly and inhale her tears of joy.

"Good to see your back to your old self again Shepard, I'd give you a hug but...things aren't exactly looking up right now..." said the turian, dropping his head to look down at the floor.

"I know..." Shepard replied. "Sovereign..."

"He's back. Even worse, he's escaped through the Conduit with Legion. As of now we're a Geth short. I tried to stop him but I wasn't fast enough... Dammit! I should have noticed the signs sooner! I'm sorry Shepard."

"It's not your fault Garrus. There's no way you or anyone of us could have known. At least he's off the ship. Another day or two and we would have all been indoctrinated. And how did he manage to take control of Legion anyway?"

"I dunno Shepard, Mordin asked for Legion's assistance in the lab, next thing he knew, the capsule popped open and that glowing shit flew out and into Legion. Fortunately Sovereign's only a spec of what he once was. Literally. Most he was able to do was drive us a little insane. But you saw the data, he grows over time and if we don't find and stop him soon, we may relive the battle of the citadel."

Tali joined in. "If he went through the Conduit then he is most likely on Ilos right now. Dammit, Shepard, we never should have trusted Cerberus!"

"I know..." the spectre replied. "We need to inform the council. Mordin collected data from his examinations of Sovereign's energy. There's no way they can dismiss it. But first, I need to have a word with the Illusive man," Shepard stormed out of the med bay and headed straight up to the CIC. Rage clouded his mind as he thought about what to say. Sending them into a trap on the Collector ship was one thing, but researching Reaper energy? Cerberus knew no bounds and eventually they would pay for it.

"Joker, patch me through to the Illusive man."

"Establishing up-link commander," Joker replied. The table merged with the floor and the scanning grid activated as Shepard stepped into it. The Illusive, sitting in his chair, was met with the enraged visage of the spectre.

"Shepard," he said. "I take it there's a complication with your delivery run?" Shepard felt all his anger rush out of him as he spoke his first words.

"Save your bullshit for someone who's actually that gullible! I know what you were doing on the Bermuda! EDI decrypted every last bit of data!" The Illusive didn't lose a single bit of his composure to Shepard's fury. Instead he managed to reply in his usual calm tone.

"I knew you wouldn't approve of the research we were performing. That's why I kept it from you. Think about it Shepard, by studying the very life-force of the Reapers we can discover their weaknesses and find the means to destroy them."

"Thousands died on the Bermuda for your reckless ambition! And now because of you, Sovereign is lose once again! He managed to work his way inside the body of my Geth crew member and escaped through the Conduit!"

"That's unfortunate..." The Illusive man replied emotionless. "Then we have an old enemy laid before us."

"No thanks to you! You've endangered countless lives as well as those of my crew to satisfy your sick delusions of grandeur! I won't have it anymore! If you contact me again, I will hunt you down and personally see to it that the only thing your researching, is how to build yourself a new head!" The Illusive man remained silent as Shepard cut the transmission. He had said what needed to be said. Never again would the Illusive man use them for his personal gain.

"Joker, send a message to Anderson, tell him what happened, and tell him I need to speak with the council immediately.

...

Shepard met up with his old friend, Councilor Anderson, in his office on the Presidium soon after calling for the meeting. When he told him it concerned the Reapers, Anderson immediately responded and awaited his arrival with great anticipation; anticipation that the rest of the council did not share. Ever since informing them of the existence of the race of evil sentient machines they had done nothing but label him as a delusional war monger and shun him for any evidence he had brought them. However, this time the data was solid. The data Mordin had recorded of Sovereign's 'life-force' showed properties unknown in any other source of energy. On top of that, he had yet to present them with the data recorded from their assault on the Collector base in the galactic core. If they didn't believe him this time, then they were more than blind, they were fools in denial. Shepard proudly walked into Anderson's office with Tali, Garrus, and Mordin following suite. Anderson was standing in his usual spot leaning over the railing but quickly turned to them upon hearing the door hiss open.

"Shepard!" He said happily as he walked over to shake the hand of the spectre. "Good to see your still in one piece. I imagine your trip through the Omega 4 Relay wasn't so relaxing."

"Always a pleasure old friend. I wish could say I had some good news prepared for this meeting." Shepard replied as he humbly shook the councilors hand.

"As long as the Reapers are out there, my expectations of hearing something pleasant remain low," Anderson replied in a rather sad tone. "The rest of the council wasn't exactly thrilled to attend a meeting without knowing its full purpose. If I hadn't told them it involves the Reapers, they would've never showed."

"When they see what I have to present, they'll see that their time was well spent," Shepard replied as he and Anderson took their places in front of the three holographic projectors that activated momentarily, revealing the glowing, holographic, orange figures of the Citadel council. The Turian councilor was the first to speak.

"I hope you have good reason for calling upon us on such short notice councilor Anderson. In case you haven't noticed, we're being drowned by protesters demanding an explanation for the disturbance on the Presidium. The Krogan citizens are particularly agitated at the destruction of their monument."

"I assure you, my reasons are valid," Anderson replied. "Commander Shepard has brought forth new evidence concerning the very real threat of the Reapers," he turned to Shepard and motioned with his hand for him to upload the data into the terminal. The three councilors all looked down into their consoles and began to review the data for themselves.

"Where did you say you acquired this data?" asked the Salarian councilor suspiciously.

"I didn't" Shepard replied. "Where I acquired this data isn't important. The fact is, it's there and you can see for yourself how crystal clear it is. The Reapers exist, and they're more than happy to let us know," The Turian councilor remained silent as did the Salarian councilor for a few moments.

"This is indeed a lot to take in Shepard," said the Asari councilor.

"There's more," Shepard interrupted before she could continue. He began to explain the incidents leading up to Sovereign's resurrection and his escape. He made sure to create a believable facade as to how sovereign acquired a body too, using the ruse that his geth body was a geth infiltrator unit that managed to stow away aboard the Normandy during their last mission.

"Every rational thought of mine tells me that I shouldn't believe you," said the Salarian councilor. "However, the data you've submitted does show that we have a clear threat to galactic security on our hands. From Sovereign, and from the coming invasion..."

"I agree," The Asari councilor interjected. "This threat must be met with immediate action," the turian councilor finally broke from his dumbfounded state and joined the debate.

"The best course of action would be to have you travel through the Mu Relay and meet this threat head on Shepard. As long as you perform your duty discreetly."

"My crew stands ready and willing councilors," Shepard replied.

"It is decided then. Shepard, you will take any measures necessary to quell this threat. Report directly to us the moment you have an update on the situation. This meeting of the council is adjourned," the holographic projections faded as Anderson made his way back to the railing and leaned over it.

"Sovereign, the Collectors, now Sovereign and the rest of his race..." Anderson said with a heavy sigh. "What will they throw at us next..."

"I plan to make sure he stays dead this time. Besides, this time around he doesn't have a Geth armada backing him up," said Shepard as he stepped up beside Anderson. "Hopefully we can settle this with a quick bug hunt on Ilos."

"I hope your right Shepard... God knows I do..." With that said, Shepard and his team headed back to the Normandy. It was time to prepare for their next the mission.


	23. Ch23: Reminisce

Zaeed and his former love Aranya ran through endless rooms and corridors as the base alarms continued to sound. So far they had been met with very little resistance due to most of the Mercenaries having been re-directed to deal with the unknown intruders. Tension was high between the two. It had taken the bounty hunter all of his physical and mental strength to not choke the Asari to death back in his cell. Though the idea still lingered even in their current situation. Perhaps he would act on it as soon as their mutual goal to kill Vido had been accomplished. If it was accomplished...

"How much further?" he asked in between breaths as he ran alongside his asari companion. Aranya halted as they came to a door at the end of a large storage room and placed her hand over the palm scanner.

"Keep your fly zipped, it's just through here then we-" The palm scanner beeped twice and glowed red denying her access through the blast doors. "What?" She double checked by, once again, placing her hand on the scanner. It still denied her access. "Something's wrong."

"What is it now?" he asked in frustration.

"Some kinda malfunction in the scanner, it won't-" she tried one last time before smashing the device in frustration with her pistol grip. "Shit! I'm locked outta the system, I dunno what's wrong."

"Allow me to clarify..." A voice said from behind. The two turned to face a squad of Eclipse mercs lead by a Salarian in tech-armor; all with their rifles pointing at them.

"What the fuck is this Razard?" Aranya questioned as the Salarian grew a sly smirk on his face.

"Don't play coy with me Major!" he retorted. "Did you really think command wasn't aware of your past relationship with Messani? I was ordered to watch you the moment he was brought in for questioning. The forged orders you handed to my commandos confirmed my suspicions."

"So what now lieutenant? You gonna kill us both and collect that bonus paycheck of yours?" The Salarian steadied his aim with his Canifex pistol.

"I get paid double if I take you two alive, but if you'd rather we do things the easy way..." Both Aranya and Zaeed shared a look of discontent; hoping the other would have a plan to escape their current predicament but with half a dozen weapons pointed at them, any effort was suicide. They both gave in to surrender and put their hands on their heads with Aranya dropping her pistol to the ground as they did so. With a motion of his head, Lt. Razard silently ordered one of his men to cuff them. The human mercenary walked toward them holding out a pair of binders in his left hand when suddenly, he was lifted off his feet into the air by a biotic field. The Eclipse soldier painfully yelled and struggled when, all at once, his body burst sending flesh, bone, and blood flying in all directions. Zaeed and Aranya as well as Lt. Razard and his men were all covered in a bloody mess; shocked at the event that befell the unfortunate human.

"Hey, ass-face!" The voice of a infuriated woman called from behind the Eclipse squad. A certain balled, tattooed woman stood proudly with a smirk on her face with her hand raised; glowing with biotic energy. Miranda, Jacob, Thane, Samara, and Kasumi all stood in formation around her with their weapons drawn.

"We're willing to let you live," said Miranda. "Unless you'd rather we do things the easy way..." she finished sarcastically with a smirk. The Salarian's eyes bulged in fear as he peered behind himself at Zaeed and his Asari companion then back to the group who held his life as well as those of his men by a simple trigger. Razard then waved both his arms signaling for his men to lay down their weapons.

"Thane, Jacob" The Drell and former alliance corsair proceeded to lead the Salarian and his men to the side of the room on Miranda's order and held them at gunpoint. "Kasumi, the door," Miranda ordered once again. Kasumi proceeded to the large blast doors, ripping off a panel on the wall next to it and began by passing circuits. The Cerberus officer then turned to Aranya. "And you are?"

"Looking at one fine piece of ass," the asari replied with a smirk as she looked over the Cerberus officer's body. Zaeed turned to her with his brow raised.

"Now you suddenly go both ways? Do you honestly think about anything else besides screwing everything with a sex organ?" Aranya turned to him with a glare.

"Comes with being mono-gendered dumb-ass..." she retorted.

"You didn't answer my question!"

"Are we playing state the obvious now?"

"Both of you, knock it off!" Miranda snapped. "We'll discuss your allegiance when we get out of-" Miranda halted in her speech upon hearing the door on the opposite side of the room opening with a platoon of Eclipse mercs flowing through.

...

The crew of the Normandy spent the next couple of hours patching the hole in tech lab as best they could while Shepard's team reported to their assigned duties; prepping the ship for the worst before pursuing Sovereign through the Mu relay to Ilos. Mordin babbled constant orders to crewman Hawthorne and Goldstein like an annoying supervisor at your first job while they, and several other engineers welded spare metal plating to patch the hole in ship. Fixing the hull breach was a prime concern of his. After all, studying cellular biology while knowing that the only thing keeping you from being sucked into the vacuum of space was a thin barrier, wasn't exactly the most comfortable working environment.

Meanwhile, Shepard played with the galaxy map, observing all the words he visited on their hunt for Saren two years earlier. With each touch of his finger, the display zoomed in on the selected coordinates. Feros; it made him think of the colonists he saved from the Thorian's control, from the immoral experiments Exo-geni had been performing. Noveria; it brought back memories of the Rachni, the race of menacing insects that nearly killed him, his friends, and everyone in the research labs. However, the Rachni larva would be redeemed in the years to come after his benevolent deed of freeing their queen. He began to remember their battle with Matriarch Benezia. He had brought Liara as well as Tali with him for that mission. He could still see the pain and sorrow in the asari's eyes as she watched the last flicker of life fade away from her mother. Maybe letting her tag along that day was a mistake, maybe that was what caused her to undergo such drastic changes in the past two years. Shepard tapped the tiny projection of a familiar planet. Therum. It was there that he first met Liara. She had been caged in an ancient Prothean barrier after stumbling across remnants of what remained of their technology. This chain of thought led him to select Ilos next. It was only a few hours before going through the Mu relay for the first time that he...no. As much as Liara meant to him as a friend, Tali was the one for him. The memory of the time he and the asari scientist spent together would be treasured, but never as much as the memory of the night he and Tali first expressed their love for each other. The Quarian was so nervous that night, so fearful that he wouldn't accept her for what she looked like without the veil of her helmet. Remembering how she pounced on him like a wild panther on a helpless antelope brought a smile to his lips followed by a quiet chuckle. A few minutes later, Mordin walked out of the lab to tell him that they had repaired the hull breach to the best of their abilities. It wasn't perfect, but it would due until they could get the job done properly at the nearest space dock. Besides, the more time they spent fixing the ship, the more time their Reaper friend had to find a way off Ilos. It was now or never. Shepard headed over to the helm to give the departure order to Joker; surprised to not hear him bickering over a trivial dispute with his AI 'mom' as the pilot called her.

"Commander?" said Joker; slowlu rotating his chair around to meet the commander's gaze.

"Plot a course for Illium Joker, we're gonna need the whole team to take Sovereign down," the brittle-boned pilot rotated back in the opposite direction and began inputting the coordinates into the ships nav-computer

"Course set commander, shouldn't take any more than six hours to get there..." Joker's tone was unusually depressing which Shepard quickly picked up on.

"You don't sound like your usual spiffy self, Joker, something on your mind?"

"Just the whole Sovereign thing and all. I mean, killing the bastard two years ago made going through the Omega 4 relay seem like a cake walk. But now that he's gone all Jesus Christ resurrected on us, I dunno Shepard, makes me wonder if the Collectors have any more surprises for us too."

"Life is unpredictable Jeff," EDI said, joining in on the conversation. "You have good days and you have bad days. Nothing can change this law of reality. What matters is that you're ready to face what lies ahead and conquer it," both Joker and the commander turned to EDI's holographic projection with shocked expressions. Who knew the AI could speak such wise words.

"I..." Joker struggled to find the right words. "Thanks, mom."

"There is no need to thank me Jeff," said the AI. "I only copied these words from an article on the extranet."

"Well that kinda ruins my motivation..."

"That was a joke."

"Not a very funny one..."

Shepard ended his trip to the helm with a simple "Carry on," and walked back over to the galaxy map. Half-way there a thought crossed his mind. Tali. They didn't really have time to enjoy their reunion after he had awakened from his strange coma. With Sovereign's escape, informing the council, and preparing the ship for what seemed to be leading up to another suicide mission, there hadn't been any time to get 're-acquainted.' He walked over the elevator and called it using the wall controls. He waited patiently for the elevator doors to open when Kelly called him from behind.

"Commander, you've received a new message at your private terminal," He fought to hold back his laughter at her comment. He'd heard her use the same sentence to inform him of new messages since he had first come aboard. At times he felt like telling her to be less formal about it, but hearing anything else would feel very anti-climatic to what he was used to when aboard the Normandy. He pivoted his body in her direction to speak with her.

"Thank you Kelly, I'll have a look at it la-argh!" Shepard was suddenly grabbed by his arm and pulled into the elevator, which he hadn't noticed, had finally opened behind him. He found himself standing next to his lover, Tali. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes were narrowed in the form of a glare.

"Tali?" he with a hint of nervousness. Her infamous 'death-glare' would give any man the chills.

"We need to talk..." she replied sharply. Without looking she punched the controls for deck 1 for their destination. They arrived seconds later. She briskly walked off and into the cabin with Shepard following suite. She walked down the small set of steps and stopped in front of the bed. Her arms still crossed with her back facing Shepard. He stepped up behind her, expecting her to slap him for making her worry so much for him over the past few days.

"Tali..." he started softly. "I know I must have put you through a lot..." As he spoke, Tali's arms slowly approached her helmet. He continued, "And I know things aren't looking any better with our current mission..." He gazed down at the floor in defeat as her hands began to fiddle with the release switches for her visor. "But even will all that's going on, with all that's coming, I just want you to know that-" Tali suddenly ripped her visor off and flung it to the side of the room; spinning around and pulling Shepard into a deep, passionate kiss, all in the blink of an eye. He jumped slightly at the feeling of her lips meeting his but quickly submitted to her; returning the affection with equal passion. Their embrace continued with nothing but the sensation of their beating hearts and the sound of their heavy breathing. Tali eventually swung herself around, bringing Shepard along as well and pushed him down on the bed. Before he could even glance up at the ethereal beauty that was her face, he found himself once again pounced by the Quarian engineer he loved so much. Tali quickly moved in for another kiss which Shepard gladly met. After a moment his thoughts returned to reality as concern overtook him. He had to just about use all his strength to pull her face away for a split second to protest his concern.

"Did you take your anti-"

"Shut up!" she quickly interrupted and threw her face down to his; binding their lips together once again. He wanted to say no, to throw her off of him for fear of causing a fatal allergic reaction, but the sensation roaring through his body; a primal feeling rising from his very soul, made it impossible for him to conclude anything logical. He felt her sensually crawl up his body while positioning herself more comfortably. He could feel the sweat drenching his clothing as instinct took over and the two did nothing but savor one another. He rolled himself on top of her like an animal expressing its dominance. Never once did their lips break apart. Tali mimicked his show of dominance by doing the same; again bringing herself on top of him. Shepard rolled one final time before the two fell out of bed with him landing on his back and the woman he loved still laying on top of him. Shepard gently traced his hands along her thighs and up her hips before finally halting on the swell of her butt and groping it firmly. He rose to his feet propping her up on his arms as he moved over to the wall. Tali squeaked as she felt her back hit the wall, the light pain was the last thing she thought about however, as she moved in for another kiss while tightly wrapping her legs around his waist.

They broke the bond of their lips only for a brief moment to catch their breath. As they panted heavily Shepard moved back over to the bed and let her fall flat on the sheets. He slowly brought himself down to her, supporting himself with his arms. They stared into each others eyes all the way through to their very souls as Tali's hands began to make their way up to her helmet. She slowly pulled it off and tossed it aside. Shepard watched as it rolled off onto the floor then let his eyes make their way back to her. He glanced down at her chest and noticed her hands loosening one of the three straps that held the mid-section of her suit tight against her lithe form. After disconnecting the belt lock of the first strap, she began to rub her hand along the next two straps while still admiring his gentle sapphire-colored eyes before speaking in that maddening seductive tone of hers.

"After you..." It was in that moment that he realized, whenever he remembered their previous mission two years earlier, whenever he would reminisce about Ilos, he would not remember that night he spent with Liara, but this moment right here, right now, with the woman he knew to be his soul-mate.


	24. Ch24: The Next Step

_Blackness enveloped his body with numbness being the only accompanying sensation. He stepped forward looking for an opening in the endless void. He couldn't speak, couldn't smell, couldn't see anything. Where was this place? What was it? Is this what it feels like to not exist? Footsteps echoed from behind him; a deafening pound on his eardrums. He shifted to see a figure clothed in white robes emerging from the void; coming closer with each step._

"Tali?" He did what he could to move closer. He was in arms reach of her. Her face was expressionless with her hands clasped together just below her neck. He gazed into her eyes while they remained emotionless without a single blink. Her hands unlaced and ran slowly down her chest. He followed their movement until they stopped at her belly which had suddenly grown immensely. He stared at it for a moment trying to comprehend the sight. Another sound echoed through the air. This time, what sounded like water droplets. He looked down at her feet to see a pool of blood flowing from underneath her robes around her feet. He re-directed his eyes to her face once again. As he took one last look at her unveiled face, he swore...he could hear the sound of an infant crying.

Shepard shot up in his bed, breathing heavily with a cold sweat running down his forehead and chest. He gathered his surroundings and placed a fist over his heart in hopes of calming himself down. The lights were dimmed with the only real source of illumination being the fish tank. His next instinct was to check on Tali; to know she was safe. He pivoted his torso to the right where she had originally fallen asleep after their intimate love-making a few hours earlier. She wasn't there. His rate climbed as he began to panic. He looked over to the corner of the room and saw that her enviro-suit as well as her helmet and visor still laying in the same pile on the floor, undisturbed. He grew more anxious as his gaze shifted around the room trying to find the familiar shape of a Quarian. Nothing. He tried to reason with himself, logically.

"_Calm down, she's probably using the bathroom...yeah...the bathroom..."_ He slid to the side of the bed, letting his feet touch down on the cold steel floor gently. Throwing on a pair of briefs, he journeyed over to the cabin's bathroom. Coming within a few feet of the door he began to hear the sound of running water. To satisfy his curiosity he turned his head to the side and placed his ear on the hard metal hatch, listening as the sound became muffled through the hard material of the door. He stood there listening for a moment when the sound of flowing water came to a sudden stop. He pressed harder against the door but couldn't make out anything else going on in the small room. Feeling that he was unable to release the fear that still overcame him, he tapped the button on the door, letting it slid open. He had to see her with his own eyes. It was the only way he could be sure. Upon entering he caught a brief glimpse of her sitting with legs folded against her chest in the far right corner of the bathroom. He also noticed a tiny object in her open hand but lost sight of it when she quickly rose to her feet revealing her unsuited body to be wrapped in a towel. She threw her hands behind her back to hide the object.

"Shepard!" she managed to squeak before becoming noticeably nervous. "W-what are you doing up?"

"I just wanted to check on you, are you alright?" Tali stiffened at his response.

"O-of course...w-why wouldn't I be?" Shepard could see that her legs began to tremble.

"What's that in your hand?" he asked pointing at her hands behind her back as he stepped closer.

"What do you mean?" she said peering over her shoulder. "Th-there's nothing in my hand," Her attempt to sound oblivious to his question had failed rather miserably as he raised a single brow.

"Really...then what's that by foot?" he said with a smirk slowly growing on his lips.

"Huh?" As Tali lifted her foot to see what wasn't there, Shepard lunged forward and pulled the towel straight out from around her body leaving her completely exposed. She gasped and instinctively used both arms to cover her exposed body; dropping the object in her hands in the process. Shepard managed to catch it before it hit the ground.

"Shepard! Give it back!" he turned to run but she leapt on his back causing him to fall to the floor on his chest. He struggled to lift himself up as Tali crawled up his back trying to snatch the object from his hands. All the while he had a wide grin on his face.

"Bosh'tet, give it to me!" she exclaimed, desperately trying to grab at his hands. She was clearly not following in his humor. Shepard rolled over on his back laughing while using his free hand to push her away by the shoulder. He finally grabbed the towel on the floor beside him and threw it in her face. With her distracted, he slipped out from under her and ran out of the bathroom.

"Dammit, Shepard, you get back-" he locked the door from outside the bathroom, hearing her muffled screams and pounding against it from the other end. Realizing he was safe for a moment from the angry banshee inside that ready to rip his face off, he turned around and leaned against the door; opening his hand to see what she had tried so hard to hide from him. He took a good look at the tiny cylindrical shaped object and let his mouth fall open. He took a moment to take in what he held then turned around and unlocked the door. Tali stepped out with her finger pointing at his face; her body again wrapped in a towel.

"Give it back or I won't be taking my suit off for you any-" She swallowed the rest of her sentence when she saw him staring at her tenderly.

"Tali, is this...a pregnancy tester?" she began to nervously wring her hands together as she stared down at the floor. Unable to answer his question. "Are you?"

"No!" She squeaked anxiously. "T-that's ridiculous! I-I mean, not that I don't want to but i-it's just not possible with, you know, I'm a Quarian and you are-"

"Tali..." He interrupted her nervous rambling. "Are you pregnant?" For a moment there was only silence as she began to wring her hands even more nervously. Shepard took a gentle step toward her and placed his free hand on her hands to ease her anxiety.

"Tali, is there something you want to tell me?" The soft, tender tone of his voice calmed her down to a level at which she was able to respond.

"N-no...I mean no, I'm not pregnant...but..."

"But?"

"I'm...trying..." Shepard's expression became that of utter confusion. Trying?

"What do you mean trying?"

"I...Mordin concocted a genetic therapy drug for me. It's supposed to perform minor alterations to my genetic code. Quarian DNA happens to be very similar to that of humans and with this drug, mine will take on subtle changes to make me more compatible for your own so that...you know...I mean, we can..." she struggled to get the words out. Revealing this to the man she loved was overwhelming. Shepard took her hand and placed it on top of his own.

"Tali," he said softly. "Why didn't you tell me you wanted-"

"Commander," Joker interrupted before he could finish asking her. Shepard sighed angrily and looked up at the ceiling.

"What do you want?"

"Well since you asked so nicely...jerk," Joker mumbled. " We're 7 minutes out from Illium and Liara is hailing us. She wants to talk to you, like, right now. So if you could pretty please with a cherry on top, come down to the helm and-"

"I get, Joker, I'm on my way," Shepard let his gaze fall back onto Tali who averted her guilty eyes from him in embarrassment. He felt disappointed that she didn't trust him enough with her secret but decided to end their discussion on good terms, so he leaned in and slowly wrapped his arms around her thin waist, embracing her for a moment then backing away to say, "I need to go see what all the fuss is about, but you and me are going to continue this talk later OK? His words were more tender toward the end which allowed her to ease up enough to return the affection with a half-hearted smile.

"Oh...alright," she replied before breaking the embrace. Shepard took a small step backward then looked over her with a insidious smile.

"In the mean time..." She gasped as he gripped the edge of the towel around her body then swiftly pulled it off from around her. Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment as she crossed her arms to cover her chest. "You need to get dressed young lady!"

"Shepard!" she squeaked using one hand to lightly punch him in the shoulder.

...

After dressing the two stepped into the elevator which quickly arrived at the CIC with the loving couple stepping out and holding hands. Walking by the galaxy map, Tali could see Ms. Chambers place a hand over her mouth trying to hold back a giggle; remembering that Kelly had seen her 'kidnap' Shepard in the elevator only hours earlier. She blushed under her helmet and turned her head away from the Yeoman; trying to hide her embarrassment. Of course Shepard had already noticed and had a wide smile spread across his lips. He always found Tali's shyness to be quite adorable. The two finally arrived at the helm to see Illium's bright blue sky looming in the void of space outside the front windows of the cockpit. Joker was eagerly awaiting Shepard's arrival, as the message Liara wished to convey sounded quite urgent.

"Took your sweet time, Shepard," Joker said sarcastically. "Emphasis on the 'sweet'." Shepard glared at him with narrowed eyes; clearly annoyed by his comment, but held back any remark he wished to make.

"Patch Liara through Joker," Joker tapped away at the controls and a holographic screen, displaying the distressed face of asari, appeared.

"Shepard! I'm so glad you're here. I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time!" her eyes pleaded the urgency of the call.

"Slow down Liara, what happened?"

"Your friends, the hotel was attacked. The Eclipse, they've captured Zaeed!"

"How did the mercs know my team was at the hotet? Much less, on Illium?"

"I don't know Shepard, but I think it's safe to assume that they have contacts looking for you. But that's not important right now. Listen, I found out where he was being held. Your friends; I haven't heard from them since I gave them the coordinates to the Eclipse base. They may need your help Shepard!"

"Can you relay to coordinates to me?"

"Already done, be careful Shepard." Liara replied before terminating the communication.

"EDI, lock onto the coordinates. Get us over there on the double!" Shepard ordered while activating his com-link. "Garrus, meet us in the hanger bay, we're going planet-side!"


	25. Ch25: Search And Rescue

Miranda and her rescue team as well as Zaeed and his former lover, all dove into cover behind a large shipping container when the charging mercenaries began pouring through the door, firing an endless blaze of thermal shells down on their position. The Salarian, Lt. Razard, and his squad of Eclipse brutes used the opportunity as Thane and Jacob ran for cover, to run toward their allies, forming up with them. Some of them weren't so lucky, being picked off with shots to the back of the head by the combined firepower of Miranda's Tempest SMG, and Samara's M-8 Assault rifle. Razard and two of his squad mates, one human and the other Asari, were the only ones to fall back behind their allies without injury.

Jack popped up out of cover and used her warp-ammo loaded Shuriken SMG to tear through the barrier of an Asari commando heading up the front-line of the enemy reinforcements. The Asari stumbled over as as single shot from the burst managed to piece through her chest armor. Still alive, she propped herself up using the barrel of her shotgun only to ended with another shot to the temple from Thane's Predator pistol.

"Hey!" Jack yelled over the sound of lasers that flew across the room. "The bitch was mine!" Thane ignored her for moment, taking another couple of shots at the advancing enemy. After adding two more kills to his 'score' he crouched back down behind the large crate and turned to face her.

"A target belongs to he who can perform the quicker kill," The Drell assassin replied with an awkward smirk. Jack grew an insidious smile.

"Ya? How's this for a quick kill!" Upon shouting, Jack leaned out of cover and threw a devastating biotic shock-wave at the unsuspecting enemy. Four Eclipse mercenaries failed to move out of its path and were thrown in random directions across the room, breaking their bones as they splatted against the walls of the room. Thane smiled at the psychotic human.

"Impressive, I see that I must learn to hold my tongue."

"Damn right, frog boy! Now try to keep up with!"

...

The shuttle ride to the surface of Illium was tense. Garrus sat in the seats closest to the cockpit, taking his Viper sniper rifle apart to check for any defects before re-assembling and loading it with a thermal clip. Shepard and his quarian lover sat opposite of him next to each other. While Tali primed her omni-tool and loaded her M-22 Eviscerator shotgun, Shepard was accessing his own omni-tool trying to locate the exact position of his team who were probably in the middle of a firefight, captured, or dead. Hopefully not the later two.

"Alright," Shepard said started in a commanding voice. "I've got a fix on Miranda's transponder. They're at the south end of the island, right in the middle of the base."

"Liara's data shows the Eclipse have multiple short range anti-air defense turrets surrounding the base perimeter," said Garrus as he glanced out the shuttle's window." I'm not sure a direct approach would be the best plan of attack."

"Tali?" he inquired.

"Liara forwarded schematics to the base along with the coordinates," the young engineer took a moment to bring up a holographic 3D layout of the Eclipse base. "As mentioned by Garrus, they have anti-air defense turrets placed in all four corners of the compound; as well as a jamming tower that disrupts our incoming and outgoing communications. However..." she taped at a section of the 3D layout which zoomed in closer to the outside grid of the base. "There's an external power generator located at the eastern side of the hanger bay."

"So, the plan is: land outside their AA range, infiltrate the compound, take out that generator to disable the gun towers and bring our comms back online, get our people out, and exfil with a nice kill score."

"Correct," Tali replied before turning to the pondering spectre next to her. Shepard leaned closer to Tali and began pointing at one of the gun towers on the south-east corner of the 3D map.

"Garrus, if you can take up sniping position in this tower and cover us, I can make sure Tali gets close enough to disable that generator. Once she's clear I'll split off and radio when I locate our people." Shepard returned to his normal posture and looked at Tali teasingly. "That is...if your comfortable with me watching your back-side," A smirk grew on his face as he finished his sentence. Tali responded with a light chuckle.

"You are welcome to watch my back-side any day, commander," she replied, her tone slightly seductive. Garrus seemed to recoil at their open expression of feelings for each other.

"I don't think running with tight pants is really the best tactical approach Shepard," said the Turian trying to hold back his laughter. Shepard raised a single brow and smiled at him mischievously before turning back to Tali.

"So Tali, what's this about Garrus seeing-" Shepard's words were interrupted by Garrus' sudden coughing fit.

"Ahem, yeah don't worry, Shepard, I got your back." Garrus grimaced as best a Turian could as he glared at Shepard, hinting to not tell Tali of their 'unfortunate' meeting a few days ago. Apparently that threat she made about making him less fertile than a Krogan stuck.

"As soon as Tali disables the generator, I need you to remote pilot the shuttle down on our position. We'll be needing a quick exit." Before nearing the landing zone, Shepard gave Tali one last look of reassurance. "You ready for this Ms. Vas Normandy?" Tali responded by smiling beneath her visor and pumping her assembled shotgun as she held it to her chest. He smiled then turned to Garrus who also nodded. "Alright, lets go get our people back."

...

The Eclipse base sat on a small stretch of land a few dozen miles off the coast of Nos Astra. Out the port side window they could see a few sky-cars landed on the beach of the island. They most likely belonged to his team who had made their desperate attempt to rescue Zaeed from his prison. The base was no more than a few of miles from where the beach lie. They made sure to fly low, around twenty feet to avoid AA fire. The Kodiak came to a soft landing a short time later and the side hatch flung open with Shepard, Tali, and Garrus all sprinting out toward the base as fast as their legs would allow. Without communications, it was impossible to obtain any information on the rescue teams situation. They had no way of knowing whether they had been captured, or killed. None of those thoughts were going to make them delay any further, however. If they were stranded in the middle of a cut-throat Mercenary base, it was obvious they required aid.

...

Still trapped in deadlocked firefight with the mercenary troops in the base, the team struggled to cover Kasumi who desperately tried to hack open the large cargo doors to the shuttle hanger. "_I really wish you were here right now, Tal gal." _The thief thought to herself while rewiring a pair of circuits.

"Kasumi!" Miranda shouted to her from behind. "We can't hold here forever!"

"Going as fast as I-" a stray laser flew right through Kasumi's hood and struck the circuit board in front of her, barely missing the side of her neck. "Uh oh..." she said to herself then turned and dove behind a crate beside Miranda. "Um, problem, the circuit board's been hit. I can't get the door open with it damaged."

"Damn..." Miranda mumbled to herself.

...

Garrus steadied his scope while taking cover in some bushes just outside the base perimeter. He could hear the sound of the alarm as a Salarian guard paced around the catwalk on the guard tower. The Turian inhaled a deep breath and waited for the right moment for the Eclipse merc to stall. As soon as he did Garrus exhaled slowly. The shot cracked out and hit its target dead on. The Salarian staggered as the bullet impacted his heart. Clutching his chest to see the blood on his hand, the Salarian fell back over the railing all the way down to the unforgiving pavement below. Garrus smirked triumphantly and once again sighted down his scope to see the human guard on the opposite tower fall flat down on the catwalk as another shot rang out. "Nice shooting Shepard..."

Shepard who hid with Tali behind a pair of trees a few meters from Garrus' position, ran out from their cover and stopped in front of the large pair of doors that would allow them entry past the wall that surrounded the base perimeter. Shepard turned to Tali who was already hard at work hacking the door access panel. No more than a few seconds later, the doors slowly slid open. "I love you," he said to her playfully.

"I know." she replied with an evident smile.

"You ready?"

"For you? Of course!"

"Alright, hopefully Garrus is in position." Garrus had just finished climbing up to the top of the tower using his grappling hook. Drawing his rifle as he took his place overlooking the perimeter, he waved his hand in their direction below, signaling that he was indeed, ready. Shepard drew his Revenant Machine gun and primed the incendiary ammo counter as he turned to Tali.

"GO!" He sprang out of cover with Tali following shortly. The guards in the courtyard immediately turned their attention on the couple when one of them dropped from multiple shots to the chest from Shepard's rifle. The mercenaries fired back in response. Lasers whizzed past the couple with only a few managing to hit and weaken their shields before they dove behind an unmanned APC for cover.

Shepard crouched down, aiming under the vehicle, giving him a clear shot at the legs of a few mercenaries. With two controlled, bursts he managed to drop the shield of a human Eclipse engineer. A third burst cut through the mans legs causing him to fall to his knees. He screamed in pain while clutching his left leg before blood suddenly burst from his forehead. Garrus flexed his mandibles wide; the Turian impression of a grin. A perfect kill!. The rest of the Eclipse troopers retreated behind a couple of concrete barriers as the Turian dropped them one by one with shots to the back of the head and spine. Shepard and Tali used Garrus' diversionary tactic to run out from behind the vehicle and continue running for the large power generator that sat next to a small storage building a few hundred yards from the main hangar. While running, Tali activated her combat drone which kept the remaining guards distracted as they neared their destination. To their dismay it wasn't enough. A Salarian emerged on the balcony of the hangar and took position on a chain-gun emplacement. Lasers rained down at their feet as the two quickened their pace and slid into cover behind a concrete barrier. Tali leaned her back against the barrier while Shepard tried to lean out for a clear shot at the pesky Salarian merc. As soon as his head was a few inches out of cover the lasers once again swarmed him, grazing the edge of this shield. "I hope you're watching Garrus!"

The Turian popped another Eclipse soldier through the heart. He sighted down his scope and turned his gaze on the couple as they waited for his assistance. The Turian watched the rounds fly over them and followed their path to the balcony of the hanger. He could easily make out the Salarian trooper frantically unloading round after round. Without even exhaling, Garrus quickly managed to fire a single shot between the eyes of the Salarian; nearly splitting his head in two. "Good thing Salarians have big heads," the turian laughed. Shepard peered out to see the merc fall limp over his emplaced weapon and nodded to Tali for them to keep moving. Finally reaching the power generator with the outside guards cleared from their path, Shepard let Tali get to work. She pulled off a small panel on the side of the generator and quickly went to work on bypassing the systems using her omni-tool.

"This might take longer than I originally thought, Shepard. Go help the others. Garrus will cover me from her on out!" Shepard seemed to ignore her at first as he looked over at the side of the shuttle hanger that connected to the main body of the base building.

"How far are we from that building?" he asked, turning to meet her gaze.

"A little over 300 yards. Why?" Shepard grabbed his M-920 Cain Tactical nuke launcher and took aim.

"That means we're just outside the blast might wanna cover your ears," Tali tilted her head to side at his ridiculous statement. "Oh right, sorry." Shepard held the trigger down and the Cain began to charge its destructive power; light swirling from within the large barrel.

Tali switched off the sound enhancers in her helmet and prepared for the incoming shock-wave. "_Oh Keelah..." _she thought.

...

Back inside the base hanger, the firefight suddenly died down. "CEASE FIRE!" Lt. Razard called out to his ruthless band of Eclipse mercs. Miranda's team also held fire but stayed low to avoid any cheap shots.

"As you can see Major Aranya," said the treacherous Salarian Lieutenant. "I have two platoons of rabbid animals behind me, ready to rip your throats out on my order. However, if you and your allies would lay down your weapons, I would be willing to negotiate the terms of your surrender..."

"Bullshit!" Aranya called out. "Soon as we give up our guns you'll take us down without a second thought!" Razard smirked upon hearing her refusal.

"I get paid double to take you alive, and a bonus for each of your friends. I've got every reason to take you alive," Razard paused for a moment to look at the two Asari commandos standing on each side of him with their shotguns ready. "You've got one minute! After that...well, I think the situation speaks for itself!"

The team each shared looks of concern and anger, deciding whether surrender would be the best option or not. Even if they managed to fight off the remaining Mercenaries, by the time they made it back to the skycars, Eclipse reinforcements from off-world would be right on their tail. More than a 30 seconds passed and they still hadn't reached a decision. Miranda peaked in between two crates and saw that more Mercenaries had entered the room through the blast doors. Playing defense wasn't going to work much longer.

The impatient Salarian Lieutenant began to count down the remaining seconds in an effort to taunt his enemies. "Ten...nine..." five more seconds passed. "three...two...o-" Suddenly a devastating explosion rocked the room as a mass of fire and smoke blew a massive hole in side of the building. The Eclipse mercs, as well as their leader, were all thrown back onto the floor. Miranda and her team stared in awe as the smoke cleared, exposing the daylight outside and the shadow of a single man with a large rifle clutched to his chest.

"Shepard!" Miranda said in pure awe.

"LETS MOVE!" The Spectre yelled out. With a waive of her hand, Miranda motioned for the team to make a ran for the it, firing her SMG blindly into the squads of mercenaries that were still trying to regain their footing from the shell-shock. The rest of the team followed suite, shooting as they went.

"Come on, come on!" yelled Shepard as he fired his rifle, dropping two mercs in the process. Razard regained his footing and began kicking the soldiers around him as he fired several shots from his Katana shotgun.

"Get up, fire god dammit!"

Shepard covered his team while they ran past him to the outside, a familiar voice sounded through his comm-link "Shepard, I've disabled the generator. Anti-air and jamming systems are offline!" Shepard fired several more bursts before following behind Jacob; the last of his team to make it out of the building.

"Good work Tali! Garrus, I've got our people, get the shuttle down here now!"

...

"You got it commander!" With a few taps of the turian's omni-tool, the Kodiak lifted off, responding to the turian's transponder. Garrus then compacted his sniper rifle and placed it on his back before sliding down the ladder to regroup with the spectre. Moments later the Kodiak hovered overhead and touched down in the center of the courtyard. The Eclipse mercenaries had emerged from the building and pursued them with guns blazing. Both Shepard and Zaeed provided cover for the rest of the team as they ran toward the descending shuttle. Without him noticing, an Eclipse heavy took his place on another balcony on one of the upper floors of the hanger; rocket launcher in hand. One pull of the trigger and a lethal missile was sent right at the Spectre. Turning to see it seconds before it hit, Shepard felt his body freeze up. Before being hit however, he was tackled aside just as it hit and exploded, finding a certain quarian on top of him.

"I knew that pounce was good for something," he said smiling at her. Tali managed to smile a little beneath her visor then quickly drew back and helped Shepard to his feet. The Kodiak sat down just as they regained their footing.

The hatch of the shuttle opened with Garrus being the first to hop in, giving the rest of his friends cover with his sniper rifle as they boarded one by one. Zaeed and Aranya headed up the rear with him backing up while firing his vindicator battle rifle and Aranya throwing warp fields at the advancing enemy. Zaeed finally spun around and hopped in the shuttle with Aranya following suite, but before she took her fest step inside, a laser pieced the arm she was using to pull herself in. Zaeed caught her before she fell back and yanked her inside. Once everyone was inside, the hatch sealed and the Kodiak quickly sped off into the sky with the remaining mercenary troops watching angrily.

"Dammit!" Razard yelled as the shuttle disappeared into the clouds. "Contact Vido Santiago, tell him what happened here, and that Zaeed Massani is still very much alive!"


	26. Ch26: Commitment

The Shuttle ride back to the Normandy was full of welcomes and congratulations as the team was re-united and given a 'job well done' speech by their courageous commander. Soon after, the Kodiak docked in the cargo bay of Normandy SR-2 and the spectre and his team began to step out one by one. Aranya clutched her bleeding arm; her purple blood dripping from her hand. She'd been trying to muster the courage to thank Zaeed for catching her before she fell out of the shuttle, but the look on the gruff bounty hunter's face told her that it probably wasn't the best idea, especially since he was still dwelling on her betrayal from more than a decade ago. The former Eclipse Major was the last to step out of the shuttle where Shepard took notice of her wound.

"I expect an explanation from you as soon as you get that looked at," Shepard's words along with his expression were stern. Turning to Zaeed who tried to make for the elevator, he called out, "Zaeed, mind taking your friend to med bay?" Zaeed's stance stiffened; venom in his voice.

"Find someone else to play wet-nurse," he said looking over his shoulder. "Besides, it would be good to let the poison bleed out of her for a while." With that he quickened his pace for the elevator and stepped in with Jacob and Miranda before the doors closed. Shepard shook his head in disappointment, but was also somewhat puzzled. Whoever this Asari was, she obviously had a history with him, and a bad one at that. Thane however was courteous enough to intervene.

"I will see too it that she receives proper medical attention, Shepard."

"Appreciate it, Thane." The spectre replied. Thane promptly wrapped Aranya's good arm around his neck and helped her limp to the elevator.

He could barely overhear her say, "Has anybody ever told you how sexy your abs are?" Chuckling at the asari's words, Shepard turned to Tali and wrapped his arm around her waist, planting a small kiss on her visor as he did.

"You saved my life again, Ms. Vas Normandy," he said softly as he gave her a loving stare; admiring her luminous eyes.

"You have saved mine many times more, I could never repay you, Shepard," she replied, placing her hand on his armored chest.

"Well, I can think of a few ways you could _repay_ me..." Tali watched as he looked up and down her body and gave her a wink. Tali responded with a gasp and gave him a nudge in the shoulder.

"Shepard!" she said, blushing from his gesture. He chuckled and then took on a more serious but still soft tone.

"Before that, I'd like to pickup on our conversation from earlier." Tali felt her heart sink, remembering what she had told him about how she was trying Mordin's anti-rejection drug in order to try and conceive. Dropping her head in shame, she responded in almost a whisper.

"Alright..."

...

"You wanted to see me Admiral?" The seasoned Quarian Marine asked formally. Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema leaned over his desk, planting his elbows firmly on its surface.

"Yes, Reegar, I have a matter of importance to discuss with you," Han motioned with an open hand for Reegar to take a seat opposite of him. Kal'Reegar did so accordingly as Admiral Gerrel continued.

"Our scouts patrolling the borders of the Perseus Veil have reported sighting several Geth frigates leaving the system," the Admiral paused for a moment. "I'd rather not take any chances. I would like you to take team of marines and follow them...discreetly, find out what they are up to," Reegar took a moment to inhale the information before responding.

"Permission to speak freely sir,"

"Granted," Han replied rising from his chair.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't have my suspicions, is there a reason this briefing is taking place in your office and not before the Admiralty board?" Han paced around the desk with his hands folded behind his back, taking on an authoritative stance as he replied.

"A fair question Lieutenant, I have not informed the board of the reports. This mission is to not to be on record. I'd rather not listen to Admiral Korris' protests while the Geth roam free in our Galaxy. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course sir,"

Gerrel paced back around and took his seat once again. "You'll depart immediately with a squad of marines at your command. Pursue the geth vessels, discover their intentions, and report back. Avoid engagement if possible," Kal shot up from his chair and gave the Admiral a hardy salute before turning to leave.

"And Reegar..." Gerrel stopped him.

"Sir?"

"...Stay safe out there, Keelah Se'lai,"

"Keelah Se'lai, Admiral." Reegar left the office and began his journey to the Neema's hanger bay, ready to take on the mission his Admiral and Captain had entrusted him with. Han sat silently in his office until he heard the marines footsteps fade out of ear reach. He then rose from his chair slowly and walked over to the window to look out into the void of space, whispering to himself.

"What are you up to?"

...

Shepard entered his cabin with Tali following slowly behind. She never lifted her gaze from the floor, wringing her hands the entire time. Shepard walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it then motioned for her to come sit next to him. Tali hesitated but found the courage to comply with the gesture and took a seat next to him. Shepard brought his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She made an almost unnoticeable attempt to pull away but found comfort in his embrace. He stared at her with a look of concern as she averted her eyes from his gaze.

"You ok?" he asked softly.

"I...I'm so sorry Shepard..." Tali instantly broke down in tears and threw herself into his chest, sobbing quietly.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

"You...hate—please, Shepard, I'm so sorry—please don't leave me!" Shepard lifted her head back and looked into her eyes while he spoke, the tears almost clearly visible even behind the opaque visor.

"Tali...I'll never leave you..." He brought her in for another tight embrace before pulling away again to gaze into the purple veil that hid her face.

"I'm sorry I didn't trust you with this..." said Tali seeming noticeably calmer. "If you don't want to have—I mean I know raising a child is..." Shepard took her hand in his and brought it to his chest as he curled his fingers into hers.

"Tali..." Shepard inhaled deeply, trying to gather all his thoughts before he spoke his next words. "Nothing in this galaxy would make me a happier man than to have children with you," Tali felt her heart nearly burst from her chest. Was this real? Was it even possible that he felt this deep of a connection with her? She didn't know whether to cry tears of joy, or rip off her visor and kiss him till his skin turned red.

"But..." Suddenly her joyful thoughts came to a pause. "I can't, and I won't do it..." Her thoughts were immediately replaced by fearful suspense. But he wasn't done speaking yet. "...Unless this child is born into a proper family," Tali placed her gloved hand over her chest, feeling her heart rate quicken as Shepard slowly rose from the bed and knelt down on the floor in front of her.

"_Family? Is he—oh Keelah!" _she thought.

Shepard took both of her hands and laced them together as he held them with his own. "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy..." Tali bit her lower lip as he began to speak. She was overwhelmed with anticipation. "When we first met on the Citadel, when I first looked into your eyes, I felt something awaken in my heart. Something I never knew could exist until I got to know you."

"Shepard..." she said, trying to hold back tears as her lip quivered.

"In the time we spent together hunting Saren, that feeling only grew stronger. I was a fool to not have realized what that feeling was until the day the void claimed my soul. But I was given another chance, I was able to redeem myself. And when I saw you again on Freedom's progress, I knew this storm in my heart was something more than a simple infatuation. When I came for you on Haestrom, your safety was the only thing that drove me to slaughter the Geth colossus, to be bold enough to stand up for you at your trial..."

"Shepard, I-"

"Tali, from then on I knew this feeling was love eternal, unshakable, unbreakable. And now, if you will have me...I want to stand by you forever, through better or worse, and through sickness and in health..." Leaning a little closer to her, Shepard spoke the words she had only heard in her happiest of dreams. "Will you marry-" Before he could finish his most noble and loving speech, Tali pounced on him, shouting as she did.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Shepard found himself on the floor lying on his back. Upon hitting the floorm he lightly hit his head on the cold metal.

"Ow!" he yelped reaching to rub the back of his head.

"Oh Keelah!" she quickly drew back and stammered an apology. "I—are you hurt? I didn't mean-"

"Shh, get back down her beautiful!" His words quickly brought a smile to her face as she knelt down and crawled on top of him. He looked up at her to see her quickly unseal her visor and lean in to give him a kiss with passion she had never expressed before. Breaking away for only a second, he pulled her back in for another, and another. Finally taking a breather to tell her something.

"Tali, if you want...we can keep trying...starting now," he said as he moved his hand down her chest; stopping at her belly. Tali met his touch with her gloved hand and gently squeezed his fingers.

"For you..." she gave him another soft kiss. "Of course," and slowly slid off him and helped him to his feet. Giving each other a loving stare, they led each other back to the bed. Shepard began to undo the straps that held her suits mid-section in place. As the last strap snapped off and the purple cloth that ran the length of her suit fell to floor, Shepard gazed through her eyes down to her very soul and said what was going through his mind at that very moment.

"I love you, Tali'Zorah..."

"I love you, Shepard..."


	27. Ch27: The Ties That Bind

Everyone on the Quarian transport was tense. They had been ordered by Admiral Han'Gerrel to track a trio of Geth frigates that had, for reasons unknown, left the boundaries of the Perseus Veil. Kal'Reegar leaned against the co-pilot chair with the pilot, a middle-aged male Quarian, sitting comfortably in the chair next to him. Kal never took his eyes of the ladar the entire trip thus far. The Geth ships, although out of visual range, still remained well within sensor distance. If it weren't for the break-through in stealth systems that the Migrant fleet recently achieved, they would definitely have been noticed by now.

"Whatever happens, try to stay out of visual range." The hardened Quarian Marine spoke sternly. "Lets not take the chance the Geth started using windows." The pilot nodded and returned to his duty as Kal lifted up off the chair he had been leaning on and walked to the back of the transport where his team of Marines were sharing conversation about the mission, as well as performing equipment checks.

Reegar's team consisted of 6 Quarians. Five of them were men with the exception of one woman. Reegar looked over his squad mates which halted in their duties and rose to their feet to give the Quarian version of a salute upon noticing their commanding officer.

"Carry on." he said formally. The squad went back to their tasks without talking amongst themselves anymore. Kal could tell, even with their enviro-suits, most of them were very young, probably having just completed their pilgrimage. The single female Quarian who sat in the back corner of the ship was cleaning her pistol with a greasy rag. After stroking the barrel a few times she pulled back the top half of her weapon; cocking it then placing it on the table next to her as she let her head fall and gaze at the floor while giving a heavy sigh.

Kal could tell something was bothering her. Normally he would have dismissed it, but he wanted everyone in his squad to be clearly focused on the mission; especially with the Geth being involved. He silently walked over to her as she let out another sigh; this time being a little more relaxed. She lifted her head up only when she saw the two steel-plated boots standing in front of her. Her eyes widened and she gasped when she realized she this to be her squad leader.

"Sir!" she said nervously as she tried to rise from her seat, only to be stopped halfway by calls outstretched hand.

"At ease." said Kal, formal as ever. The young Quarian girl slowly sat back down and became unsettled by Reegar's very presence. "Something on your mind? He asked politely. The girl stiffened at his question as if she was about to be mauled by a predatory animal.

"Uh, No sir." she said nervously. Kal could tell she was avoiding the question so to test her focus, he began inquiring about her weapon.

"Show me how to load your weapon, from scratch."

"Sir?" she asked, puzzled by the order.

"Load your weapon soldier." Acting upon his command, the Quarian girl grabbed her pistol, unloaded the clip, then shoved it back in clumsily and cocked it.

"Weapon fully loaded sir." Kal narrowed one of his eyes which caused the girl to almost cringe in fear. He then took a seat next to her.

"Text book quality soldier. But you forgot to prime the thermal chamber before cocking it. Not even a novice would make that mistake, unless they intended on shooting cold shots." The girl slowly lowered her pistol into her lap and once again dropped her head.

"Permission to speak freely granted soldier." The female Marine cleared her throat but still couldn't seem to get the words out.

"Sir...I-I...err..." Kal decided to evaluate her, seeing that she wasn't exactly a talkative one.

"How long have you been a Marine soldier?"

"Err...four months sir." she replied nervously.

"Have you ever been in combat before?" he asked politely.

"Six recon missions sir, I've...never killed any Geth..." The girl took her hands and placed them in her lap as Kal took a moment to read her behavior.

"What's your name?" The Quarian girl took a moment to gather her composure before replying in full.

"Vel'Lara vas Neema nar Rayya, sir."

"Are you scared Vel'Lara?" She dropped her head at his question for a moment then looked back up into his eyes with an expression of fear clearly showing even behind her visor.

"...Yes sir...I am. I've never been up against the Geth before, and we still don't know where they're going or what they're doing. What if they find out we're following them?"

"I'm sure it won't come to that. But if you want my advice..." Vel leaned slightly forward to hear his answer.

"When and if things get bad...stay scared, it'll keep you alive." That said, Kal stood up and walked back to the cockpit, leaving young Vel'Lara to dwell on what he had said. After watching him stroll back into the helm, she slumped back in her chair and looked over at her pistol. What her squad leader told her didn't make her feel any better about the mission. She had hoped for something more comforting words, but accepted that this was just the way of the Quarian Marines; to fear the Geth, and build a hatred for them upon that fear.

"_Keelah...please ancestors, let this end as simple recon mission..."_

Nearly half an hour had passed and the crew of the Normandy had all but settled in; Aranya being the only exception, as she was having her gun shot wound to the arm tended to by Dr. Chakwas. Of course the Eclipse veteran was quite disappointed that the Normandy's chief medical officer happened to be, as she put it, "_A withered, dried up, hag." _The pain of the Doctor stitching up her arm only worsened her frustration.

Shepard and his beautiful fiance, Tali, were the only ones truly relaxed even after the ordeal earlier. After enjoying their intimate "session," They decided to clean up with each other in the cabin's bathroom. Shepard stood under the shower nozzle; running his hands through his buzz-cut hair, washing the shampoo from his scalp while Tali lay in the bathtub next to him with all but her head submerged into the steaming, hot water. Where as humans looked at bathing as part of a day's normal routine, Tali saw it as a luxury; being that Quarians such as herself, didn't have the opportunity to feel actual water on flowing on their skin, no thanks to being caged in a suit all their lives. The form of liquid she felt on her skin most commonly was blood from injuries in battle and was determined to change that.

Shepard turned nozzle off after cleaning himself thoroughly. After shaking the water off his face he turned to Tali to see only her fragile head, eyes closed from the pleasure of the water's warmth, leaned back against the interior of the tub. He tip-toed his way over to her and knelt down, propping his head up on the edge of the bathtub with his folded arms, as he watched her breathe in and out slowly.

"Enjoying yourself _darling?_" she nodded slowly in response to his playful tone while keeping her eyes shut. He watched her without saying a word for a few moments, until a rather naughty thought crossed his mind. Quietly he unfolded one of his arms and slowly dipped it into the water without her noticing, until his fingers touched her in a place that left her very surprised. She squeaked and nearly jumped out of the tub upon feeling his fingers; water was splashed all over the floor from her sudden movement. Her eyes shot open wide as she shifted her head to Shepard.

"Shepard!" she said trying to refrain from giggling. "Don't you think we've had enough excitement for one day?"

"I just wanted to see your beautiful, pearly eyes." he replied lovingly. Tali began to blush and tilted her head to the side.

"You could have just asked you know." said Tali with a small chuckle. Shepard titled his slightly to match hers and grinned.

"Where's the fun in that?" he teased. Tali's mouth hung wide open and her eyes bulged as she gasped and used her hand to playfully splash him in the face. The two began laugh together; admiring each others gaze. After calming down, Shepard reached for her hand and held it close. He began to gently caress her second finger and then placed a kiss on it.

"I promise you that once we're done with this Sovereign business, there will be a ring on this finger." he said softly. Tali looked at him curiously.

"A ring?"

"Yes," Shepard replied. "When humans join together in marriage, the two will wear identical rings as a symbol of their love. We almost never take them off."

"Oh well..." Tali averted her eyes as she sadly stated, "I'm not sure you could find one in my size, and even if you did, it would be hard for me to wear it with my gloves and..." Shepard placed his hand on her shoulder which she gladly accepted by grabbing it with her free hand and leaned her head onto it.

"We'll figure something out." he said with soft smile. Shepard placed one last kiss on her finger before releasing it. As he did so, Tali began to step out of the tub. Shepard watched in awe as the water softly ran off of her lithe form, making sure his eyes gave extra attention to her butt. Tali smiled, knowing full well where his eyes were fixated, and walked over the wall to grab a towel off the rack and wrap it around her body. She turned to see slight disappointment in Shepard's face and giggled before taking another towel and throwing it in his face.

"Speaking of Sovereign, don't you think we should tell the rest of the crew what happened?" said Tali sternly. Shepard had just finished wrapping himself in the towel given to him and turned to face her.

"I guess your right. As much as I hate to plunge them into, possibly, another suicide mission, the sooner we get to him, the easier it'll be to destroy him."

Shepard followed his lovely fiance out of the bathroom and over to their bed where her suit lay on the floor at the foot of it. Tali looked down at her suit and gave a sigh of disappointment, wishing she could be out of it just a little bit longer, even if it meant getting worse of a fever than she already had. Shepard walked up behind her and hugged her from behind while placing a few kisses on the side of her neck.

"Shepard..." she sadly asked. "Do you really think we can raise a child together?"

"I don't think we can, I know we can." replied Shepard.

"But what if the drug doesn't work...I—You want children as much as I do, and I just really want you to be happy."

"Tali, even if it turns out that you can't bear my children, I'll still love you just as much as I do now." Shepard spun her around to meet his eyes and noticed her expression had perked up slightly. He always knew just how to butter her up. Leaning in he placed a kiss on her luscious lips before continuing. "Just have faith, we'll keep trying."

Tali responded by returning the kiss and then the two broke their embrace. Tali began the complex task of putting on her enviro-suit while Shepard slapped on his usual Cerberus uniform. After being fully dressed he waited until Tali was fully suited, occasionally helping her with a few of the straps and latches which she humbly welcomed. They shared one last look into each others eyes before she latched her visor in place. Shepard then turned his attention to the holographic projector next to the cabin door.

"EDI, tell the team to gather in the briefing room, and...make sure our Asari guest is confined to med bay for now."

"Acknowledged Shepard." That said, the loving couple made their way to the elevator.

Mordin and Jacob were the first to arrive in the briefing room when Shepard and Tali walked in. Mordin was pacing back and forth deep in thought while Jacob leaned over the edge of the table. Moments later, Miranda walked in, followed by Garrus, Thane, Samara, and Kasumi. Jack and Zaeed came in a minute later.

Jacob was the first to inquire as everyone spread out in the room. "What's this all about commander?"

"It's a long story, so I'll try to keep to the short version." Everyone in the room watched expectantly as Shepard folded his hands behind his back and straightened his back. "First of all, Grunt won't be a problem anymore, he's taken a leave of absence on Tuchanka. Second—please try to bear with me on this one."

"Before arriving at Tuchanka, The Illusive man tasked us with investigating a Cerberus research vessel they lost contact with. He also told us this ship was testing a new energy source; something that could be used against the Reapers." Shepard took a deep breath before continuing.

"When we arrived, we discovered the ships lead researcher had gone insane and reprogrammed the security mechs to kill the entire crew. We recovered the energy source but..." He cleared his throat.

"After it aboard we...some of us started seeing things. When EDI finally decrypted the data we recovered from the ship, it was already too late." Miranda stepped forward.

"Commander, what happened?" she noticed Shepard swallow a lump in his throat. "Where's Legion?"

"The energy turned out to be a fragment of a Reaper core. That Reaper possessed Legion and escaped through the conduit..." The entire room fell into complete silence as they eagerly awaited the next details. "Sovereign is back."

Nearly everyone in the room gasped and shared expressions filled with shock. Shepard raised his hand to calm everyone down. "Now listen, I've given the data we recovered from the Collector base, as well as what we salvaged from the Cerberus ship to the Council. As far as I can tell, we have their support."

"They've tasked us with pursuing Sovereign...to Ilos."

"With all due respect Commander, he's probably long gone by now." Jacob interjected.

"Maybe, but that's a chance we're going to have to take. We don't have any other leads."

"Jesus H. Christ..." Zaeed mumbled to himself drawing the attention of others. "First you manage to piss of your pet Krogan, and now we're hunting down a Reaper that's supposed to have died 2 years ago?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You better have one fat fucking paycheck for me when this is over Shepard."

"I'll make sure you're compensated for your help Zaeed." said the Spectre staring angrily at the bounty hunter. "Right now I need you all in top shape, so get some rest as best you can. We depart for the Mu Relay in ten. Dismissed."

The team began to disperse and head back to their usual stations. Shepard never moved from his spot in front of the table as the individuals behind him crammed into the hallway. Tali walked up beside him moments later.

"I'll be in engineering if you need me," she said plainly. "I should check the drive core's optimal efficiency before we lift off." Shepard pivoted toward her and embraced her for a brief moment.

"Show it the same love you do me and it'll make precision jumps." he said with a wink.

"Of course commander." she replied seductively then walked out of the run while swinging her hips in a sensual fashion. Shepard smiled as he watcher her leave and shook his head in embarrassment. Thoughts of the mission however, brought him back to reality. Not even a month after wiping out the Collectors and already the Reapers are at it again. He felt that the word peace, and anything to do with it, should be erased from the dictionary with the way events were unfolding. But now was not the time to quit, they had a job to do.

"Joker, set a course for the Mu relay. Let's go pay our friend a visit."


	28. Ch28: Requiem

"Sir!" Kal'Reegar jumped up from his seat in the passenger section of the transport when he heard the pilot shout; absentmindedly carrying his ML-77 missile launcher with him to the cockpit.

"What is it?" He asked as he plopped down in the co-pilots chair.

"The Geth ships sir, they're headed for the Relay. Should I lay in an intercept course?" said the male Quarian pilot; adjusting the readout of the ladar

"Do it." said Kal in a stoic manner. "We need to find out where they're going."

"Yes sir, plotting course. ETA to relay, nine minutes" replied the pilot.

"Why would a few Geth ships come this far from the veil just for an expedition?" Kal thought out loud. "And why now?" A moment of silence followed as the pilot double checked his estimation of the Geth ship's course. Kal sat deep in thought. The Geth, the true Geth, haven't had any activity in the galaxy in centuries. Their sudden emergence from the veil proved to be quite a mystery.

Several minutes passed as Reegar eagerly awaited the Geth's next action. He could hear his squad talking amongst themselves behind him in the passenger compartment. Apparently they heard that they would be possibly following the Geth through the relay, and to where, only the ancestors themselves knew.

"We're approaching the relay sir. The Geth are powering up their drive cores." said the pilot, not looking at anything but the flight controls and occasionally the ladar.

"Alright, scan them. Match destination and follow them through." Kal leaned out of his chair and yelled to the back of the transport. "Buckle up back there! We might be hitting some turbulence!" The Quarian transport managed to make visual contact just before the Geth frigates jumped into FTL through the relay. The Quarian pilot followed suite; flying close to the relay and charging the drive core before zooming out of sight in the blink of an eye.

"Brace for deceleration!" The pilot warned. Surprisingly, the managed to drop out of FTL in clear space. The Geth ships immediately appeared back up on the transports lader. However, they were already way out of visual range.

"Coordinates." Reegar demanded. "Where are we?" The pilot followed the order and taped a series of buttons which brought of the coordinate codes on the holo-screen.

"The Hawking ETA sir." the pilot replied in puzzlement. Reegar gathered himself then said the first thing that came to mind.

"Check the Geth's bearing, find out where they're headed."

"Yes sir." replied the pilot, once again punching in a series of codes. "The...Mu relay sir."

"The Mu relay?" Kal questioned. "There's nothing of interest through there but Ilos." The pilot turned to Kal and gave his own input.

"According to data recovered by Commander Shepard two years ago, Ilos is a reliquary of Prothean technology."

"I'll be Keelah damned..." Reegar cursed to himself. "Stay with them. I doubt they're headed to a Prothean world for some simple field trip."

Commander Shepard had just finished briefing his team on their new mission to stop an old enemy and was now making rounds to get the crew's opinion on the task at hand. He had already spoke to Mordin who was too involved with analyzing the data he took of Sovereigns energy, and Jacob wasn't exactly in the best mood; just giving the ole "I can't believe this is happening" talk. With those two of the list, it was time to have a chat with their newest addition to the crew. The Asari that Zaeed apparently, wasn't very fond of.

The Spectre walked into med bay just after the hatch hissed open. The Asari was sitting on the edge of a medical bed, swinging her legs back in forth with her head staring up at the ceiling. Obviously she was bored. As Shepard walked closer she turned her head to him with annoyance in her expression.

"Bout time, a girl can only take so much of staring at an old, liver-spotted human all day." said Aranya sarcastically.

"Pleasure was all mine dear." replied Chakwas with an evil smile.

"Who are you and how did you end up with my crew?" Asserted Shepard.

"Straight to business eh chief?" said Aranya with a grin. "Fine, we'll skip the foreplay then." Shepard turned his head to Chakwas with his brow raised as if hinting at a question. Chakwas only shrugged as the Eclipse veteran continued.

"Major—former Major Aranya of the Eclipse." said the Asari. "I'm surprised Zaeed hasn't told you _all_ about me."

"Yeah...I'm surprised too..." said the Spectre, averting his eyes for a brief moment. "What exactly is your history with my crew member?"

"Oh nothing much, we just used to screw each others brains out." she replied sarcastically which seemed to be her usual manner. Shepard was becoming rather fed up with the vulgar individual.

"Uh huh..." shrugged the Spectre. "And how did you end up here?"

"I led the team that captured Zaeed, helped em escape, here I am." she replied.

"I'd like a more detailed description than that." Shepard demanded.

"Too bad." Smirked Aranya. "That costs extra."

Shepard smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand in frustration. "I'm starting to wonder whether your an mercenary or a prostitute..."

"I can be whatever you want me to hon." Aranya said with a chuckle. Shepard eventually gave up on poking her for information and decided to engage in more serious matters.

"Well if you want to stay on this ship, then you're going to have to work for it." Shepard retorted sternly. A wide smile grew on Aranya's lips as she jumped off the medical bed and sensually walked over to the Spectre; running her finger up his chin to his lips. Shepard was nearly unsurprised by her act, as her mannerisms pointed out what kind of person she was.

"I'll do more than work for it..." she said seductively. Shepard reacted by grabbing her hand and harshly pulling it away from his face.

"Give me one good reason to keep you around or your next stop will be the airlock!" Shepard snapped to her face. She wasn't the least bit shocked by his outburst.

"Feisty one eh? I like it when the ones that play hard to get." Aranya pulled her hand away then turned to a more serious tone. "Well I know my way around a weapon. Shotguns are nice but I have a bit of a thing for sniper rifles. Nothing like watching your enemies eyes through the scope as that single shot sucks the last bit of life from them. My biotics are a little rusty but I'll manage."

For some reason Shepard found his thoughts drifting back to Aria, who strangely, he thought would make a perfect match with this crazy woman. Shaking off the thought Shepard remembered that with Grunt gone, and Legion 'kidnapped' in a strange sense of the word, they were done a Shotgun and Sniper expert and this Asari, being a former Eclipse Major, would make a good addition to the team.

"In that case I could use you on my team." said Shepard. "Follow my orders and you'll have no problem adapting."

"Whatever you say chief." replied Aranya. "So...who do I have to fuck for room on this ship?"

"Port cargo on deck 4 is free. Get settled in and don't cause trouble with Zaeed, his room is just across the hall from it."

"A room across from Massani huh? Guess this will be a little more interesting than I thought." said Aranya as she walked out of the med bay.

"Where did you find that woman?" Chakwas interjected, shaking her head.

"If I didn't know, I'd say a back alley somewhere on Omega." Shepard replied. "I'm going to see how the rest of the crew has settled in, take care Doctor." Chakwas nodded and turned back to her desk as Shepard proceeded out of the med bay. Thoughts of the mission came back to him which raised a question in his mind. The log entry from the Bermuda said they were working with Sovereigns energy for over 6 months. He wondered, did Miranda know? Turning his attention to her office just across the room, he decided now would be a good time to investigate.

When he stepped inside, he saw Miranda working at her terminal behind her desk. Same place he expected her to be. She greeted the commander in her usual former manner.

"Commander, something I can do for you?" Shepard slowly took a seat with a suspicious expression.

"I'd like to talk...about project Black-heart. Did you know Cerberus was working with Sovereigns recovered energy?" Miranda shook her head without the slightest bit of deception in her face. She seemed to not have a clue.

"Honestly commander, I didn't. I've been going over the data, I'm just as surprised as you are. Though I guess I shouldn't be when you consider the Illusive man's methods."

"Maybe I jinked it when I said he'd want to grow his own Reaper." said the Spectre; resting his chin on his closed fist. Miranda fought to hold back a chuckle but failed miserably.

"It would seem Cerberus doesn't—didn't appreciate me as much as I originally thought. What a waste of my life. I'm sorry Shepard."

"There's nothing to be sorry about Miranda, none of this is your fault. You joined Cerberus with good intentions and you left on even better ones." Miranda cheered up slightly from his words. Happy to see that he didn't hold a grudge against her for being a former Cerberus operative.

"We can't do anything about the Illusive man right now, but we can stop Sovereign before he finds a way of Ilos. If he finds a way..."

Somewhere in dark space; beyond the Milky way galaxy...

"_NAZARA, YOU'VE REEMERGED_."

In the dark forests of Ilos...

"_HARBINGER, I HAVE REVISED OUR PLAN OF INVASION. I WILL COERCE THE SYNTHETICS TO OUR CAUSE, FOCEFULLY_."

"_THE CITADEL IS NO LONGER A FACTOR IN A GRAND DESIGN. WE NEED THE HUMANS. THE'RE POTENTIAL EXCEEDS ALL WHO CAME BEFORE_."

"_WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO?"_

"_PROCEED AND RALLY THE SYNTETICS. WE CONTINUE THIS EXCHANGE AFTER YOU HAVE DONE SO._

"_SHEPARD WILL PURSUE ME. WHAT SHALL I DO WITH HIM?"_

"_...PRESERVE HIS BODY IF POSSIBLE. HIS IS UNIQUE. THE KNOWLEDGE WITHIN HIS MIND HOLDS GREAT POWER._

"_VERY WELL."_

"_THIS EXCHANGE IS CONCLUDED."_

Hawking ETA cluster...

"The Geth ships have passed through the relay sir, orders?" Kal'Reegar sat firmly in the co-pilots chair.

"Hold position, open a channel a secure channel to the Neema." The pilot responded and activated long range communications array.

"Admiral Gerrel, this is squad leader Kal'Reegar. The Geth ships have passed through the Mu relay. It's a safe bet they're heading for Ilos. The world is full of ancient Prothean tech. They could be going to dig up some old weapon or worse. Request permission to pursue."

"Granted squad leader, observe and report back with your finding but do not engage. Good luck out there, Keelah Se'lai."

"Keelah Se'lai Admiral." The communications channel was cut and Reegar ordered the pilot to engage the mass effect core and prepare to jump through the relay.

"Here's goes nothing..." Kal whispered to himself. The Quarian transport flew close to the relay as the energy transfer began. Shortly after they were thrown into FTL; emerging on the other end almost immediately.

"Status report." demanded Kal.

"We're through sir. Picking up a single planet in the system."

"And the Geth?"

"The Geth frigates have entered low orbit around the planet. They're deploying dropships." the pilot responded.

"Take us planet-side but keep us out of range of their sensors." Kal turned to his squad who looked up toward the helm expectantly. "Lock & load marines! Might just get to kill some Geth today!"

Vel'Lara vas Neema nar Rayya was the only marine in the passenger compartment of the transport that didn't erupt in cheers. Instead she was struck with fear as she thought to herself.

"_Keelah...well, I guess it was only a matter of time. Ancestors protect me..."_


	29. Ch29: Reliquary

Shepard walked into the elevator; stepping off of the crew deck and pushing the button for engineering. He had just finished chatting with Miranda and afterward, helping Garrus calibrate the Thanix cannons to full efficiency. After all, they needed to be ready for anything Sovereign could throw at them, even if all he had at the moment was a single Geth for a body.

A talk with his lovely, Qaurian fiance would ease his tension; yes, that's exactly what he needed right now. Stepping off the elevator, he could hear Aranya yelling from the port cargo hold. He could barely make out the words as they were being muffled by the tritanium walls, but it sounded like she was complaining about her 'piece of shit' room. At least, that was the only word he could make out.

When he walked through the first hatch, leading through a corridor to engineering, he noticed Jack was sitting on the edge of the stairs leading to her 'hidey hole.' He was a little surprised, but was completely shocked when he moved closer and noticed she was actually wearing a t-shirt; one that she probably purchased on Illium. To anyone that didn't know the ex-inmate from purgatory, this would seem like nothing, but if you knew her, you knew that Jack, Subject Zero, never wears anything but leather straps that barely cover her chest as well as the rest of her torso.

"Jack?" The Spectre called with concern in his voice as well as his expression. Jack jumped slightly from where she sat and turned her head to view the figure of her Commander.

"...Hey Shepard." she replied sounding a little depressed.

"You holding up alright?" he asked. "I imagine you had a rough day rescuing Zaeed from the Eclipse."

"Nah, I'm good, just..."

"Just?" 

"I feel like...like I'm changing, I'm not myself, and I know I shouldn't you know?" Shepard walked closer and sat down on the stairs beside her."

"Changing how?" he questioned.

"Shepard, you've been like a big brother to me. You helped me bury my past in the dirt on Pragia, everyone else in this galaxy only wanted to take advantage of my kick-ass biotics."

"When you and Grunt went at it, at first I was like 'well fuck that' you know? No biggie. Long as someone gets the big prick's shit in order. But on Illium I did things, snorted some red-sand, beat up some hobos, and occasionally ma-" She stopped when Shepard gave her a 'too much information' look, then cut straight to her point.

"What I'm trying to say is, I was worried about you Shepard, I mean, without you, who's gonna keep my head on straight? I may act like I wanna blow shit up all the time, but sometimes I do just want someone to see my as something else besides a pissed off Varen."

Shepard smiled and then placed his hand on her shoulder and patted it gently a few times. "I appreciate that Jack, and I'm glad to know your happy to have a family that's looking out for you."

"Thanks...Shepard." Shepard stood up and before walking into the engine room, looked down at her and said one last thing. "You'll always have a place here. And by the way, what's with the sudden change of attire?"

"The fuck do you care?" was her only response. Shepard chuckled and then stepped into the engine room, leaving Jack to herself.

Shepard immediately noticed Tali's beautiful figure standing at her usual station. He smiled and stood where he was, his eyes traversing every area of her body; paying special attention to her butt. Noticing that she didn't turn to greet him when he entered, he thought maybe she hadn't heard the hatch open. He glanced over at Ken and Gabby who ran their fingers across their lips as if saying "Our lips are sealed." Maybe he would be a little frisky for his wife to be.

Shepard tip-toed over to her as she tapped every key on her console at lightning speed. When he approached within inches of her, he threw his hands forward; gripping her butt. Tali jumped and squeaked when she felt this but didn't move, as she had a good idea who it was. Shepard began to slowly and sensually trace his hands from her butt, up her curves, and finally up to her visor; covering it with both hands.

"Guess who" he whispered playfully.

"A Bosh'tet that doesn't believe in privacy..." replied Tali, a little annoyed that her engineering comrades were right across the room from them; giggling at the obscene couple. Shepard spun her around; holding her by her sides.

"I've got no reason to hide the way I feel about you" said Shepard with a wink at the end.

"Well unlike you, I actually believe in a sense of professionalism in the workplace Shepard..." Shepard only laughed at her comment.

"Well this is my ship young lady, and I say anything goes." Tali sighed in defeat and giggled.

"How did I ever end up with a dashing Bosh'tet like you." she said softly.

"I like to think it's because of my rock-hard abs" said the Spectre, sarcastically. Tali began to caress his abdomen gently and looked into his eyes. The reflection of her helmet shining through those sapphire orbs.

"Shepard" her tone became more serious. "I think we should talk about the plans for our bonding."

"Tali I-"

"Commander Shepard" interrupted EDI. "We are approximately 15 minutes from the Mu relay. Your presence is required in the helm." Shepard sighed and gazed down at the floor before bringing his sights back to Tali.

"I'm on my way EDI." he began tracing his hand slowly down the side of Tali's hood; stopping at her shoulder, then planted a kiss on her visor.

"Don't worry, I won't forget." he said lovingly.

Shepard shared a brief embrace with Tali before breaking off to take his leave. She waved at him with her 3 digit hand before the hatch closed behind him. As he walked back through the same corridor he came in through, he noticed Jack wasn't sitting on the stairs anymore; probably gone back down to her cot. Shrugging off the thought, he stepped through the second hatch into the hallway. He could still hear Aranya complaining from inside her room. He still had time, speaking with Zaeed, figuring out what history he had to this Asari couldn't hurt.

He walked into Zaeed's room to find him sitting in a chair next to his deck; cleaning his prized assault rifle he had named Jessie.

"Shepard" said the former blue suns leader. "Figured you'd come down here soon or later."

"I was hoping I could talk to you." replied the commander suspiciously.

"About that Asari bitch down the hall screaming like she had a bad sweet 16 party?" said Zaeed, flatly.

Shepard folded his arms as he questioned him."Actually yes. I still don't understand what she's doing here, and she was a little vague as to why she aided in your escape."

Zaeed laid Jessie back down on the table and shifted in his seat to face the Spectre. "And you expect me to fill in the blanks?"

"As a matter of fact" said Shepard sternly. "I do. And you owe me an explanation after I risked my life and those of my team to pull you out of there."

"Fair enough..." Zaeed stood up and walked over to his usual spot and leaned back against the wall. To explain.

"You remember that Asari I told you about a while back?"

"The one with the pretty head on her shoulders, the one that sold you out to the blood pack?" replied Shepard.

"Spot on Shepard. Yeah that's the one."

"So why is she here now? Why did she help you escape?" said Shepard, puzzled by the circumstances.

"Says she wants Vido dead. That we share a common enemy and she wants to help me put him down. Never did think to ask her why." Zaeed explained. Shepard paced back and forth for a moment.

"Can we trust her?" asked the Spectre.

"Hell no, but if you can keep her in line she'll make one hell of a addition to your little clique. You've also probably noticed she's a bit of a tramp. Don't give her any ideas unless you wanna be screwed over, and I mean that both literally and metaphorically."

"Duly noted" Shepard replied as he made for the door. He turned to Zaeed before exiting the room. "Can I expect you two to not kill each other down here?"

"Long as she stays on her side of the border, I'll keep it quiet." replied Zaeed half-sarcastically.

The small Quarian transport set down in a dry bog on Illos. As they were landing they could see three Geth dropships fly off in different directions, seemingly forming a triangular pattern. The transport hatch slid open forming a ramp to the ground. Kal'Reegar was the first to step out followed by five of his squad of Marines. Vel'Lara was the last to step off; gripping her pistol nervously.

Kal placed his two fingers on the side of his helmet; activating his com link. "Pilot?" The pilot responded immediately.

"Uploading the coordinates of each ship to your HUD's sir." Kal looked at his visor in front of him and noticed a triangular shaped radar appear. He could see three blips, each indicating the landing zone of a single dropship. Kal turned to his marines who eagerly awaited his orders.

"Alright, listen up marines. We got three Geth dropships in the area, each spread over a distance of 10 kilometers. We're splitting into three teams." Kal began pointing to each of his squad as he gave the orders; calling each by clan name.

"Chelor, Yuday, you two scout the ship to the east, Oron, Elra take the west. Lara you're with me, Zenia stay with the ship. Report back any signs of Geth activity but do not engage unless fired on first. Move out marines!"

Acting upon his orders obediently, the three teams went their separate ways with the exception of Moro'Zenia, who was ordered to guard the ship.

Minutes later, Kal and Vel found themselves leaving the bog they had landed in and entering a vast forest filled with mossy trees and ancient stone structures. Statues of grotesque humanoid figures were posed left to right as if forming the entryway into a city. The two walked side by side, Kal with his rifle held chest high, occasionally checking his radar for Geth signatures. Vel'Lara walked behind him; her pistol held just below her abdomen. As they passed the ancient Prothean statues, Vel took a moment to gaze upon them; astonished at the detail carved into each one.

"Do you think that's what they looked like? The Protheans I mean" asked Vel timidly.

"Can't comment on that marine, I just shoot things. History was never my best subject." replied Kal formally. Vel had expected a 'keep quiet and watch out for enemies' scolding from him. It was nice to see that he wasn't as strict as the other squad leaders she had been assigned to.

The two continued their steady pace; walking under a tall archway and finding themselves in a courtyard of stone. Vel found herself entranced by the unique design and layout of each individual stone. The sunlight shone dimly through the tall trees that covered the sky from view; reflecting off the small pond of water in the center of the courtyard. Some of the walls showed clear signs of damage, possibly from mass accelerator weapons.

"This place must have been very beautiful back then..." said the young marine, sounding a little depressed.

"The way Commander Shepard puts it..." Kal said, joining her in her reminiscing. "If we don't find a way to stop the Reapers, everywhere in the galaxy will look like this."

"You really think it will come to that?" asked Vel shyly.

"Your asking someone who's spent his entire life fighting Geth. You really want my opinion?" Vel knew exactly what he was hinting at and decided against pushing the conversation further.

In the distance, just outside the courtyard, Kal could make out what seemed to be a very tall stone tower. This gave him an idea.

"We may be able to get a better look at the dropship from up there" Kal turned to Vel and motioned with his head in the direction ahead of them. "Come on."

The two picked up their pace slightly jogging toward the tower. As they exited the last of the ruins, they had been too absentminded to notice the figure emerging from one of the ruined buildings behind them; bright blue cracks running through its body as it observed them.

Shepard made his way onto the CIC a few minutes after speaking with Zaeed. As soon as he stepped onto the deck, he strolled right past the galaxy map and moments later found himself in the Normandy's helm where Joker was preparing to send the ship into FTL.

"Approaching Mu relay commander, I take it your ready?" asked Joker in a rare formal tone.

"Let's make it happen" replied Shepard. "Take us through."

"Drive core activated" chimed EDI. "Initiating FTL in 5...4..."

The Normandy soared through space; flying alongside the relay and seconds later, shot into FTL in the blink of an eye. Moments later they exited FTL with only one planet in view.

"We're through the relay commander. Setting course for-"

"Shepard" interrupted EDI. "I am reading three ships in low orbit around Ilos. Silhouettes match that of Geth signatures."

"Geth? Here?" remarked Joker.

"EDI" Shepard interjected. "What are they doing?"

"The Geth frigates are currently inactive and remaining in low orbit. I am reading the energy signatures of three Geth dropships on the planets surface. They appear to be in a triangular formation each being 10 kilometers apart."

"Sounds like a search pattern. They're looking for something." Shepard concluded. "Land us in the center of the pattern. Try to keep a good distance from the frigates." Shepard turned and began to walk toward the elevator.

"EDI, prep the hammerhead. I'm taking a team down to investigate." 


	30. Ch30: Insurgence

Kal stood at the edge of the balcony atop the stone tower with Vel'Lara by his side. In the far distance they could make out the outline of a single Geth dropship. To better examine it, Kal brought his two fingers to the side of his helmet and activated the magnification feature of his visor. Any Quarian civilian wouldn't have this feature built into their enviro-suits, but Kal, being a veteran marine of many years, had picked up many upgrades along the way.

"What is it? What do you see?" Asked Vel as Kal's visor greatly increased magnification of the dropship in view. Kal instantly became aware of a squad of Geth troopers positioned in guard positions around the dropship and several Geth Primes lifting heavy equipment and assembling it a few hundred yards from the dropship.

"They're building something. Looks like some kinda...beacon." replied Kal as he continued his observation. He zoomed out slightly and noticed another squad of troopers performing a sweep-search pattern toward their position. He placed the reticule of his visor over the Geth hunter that seemed to be leading the squad and zoomed in on it's head.

"Looks like we're gonna have company soon..." Kal said as he watched the hunter look to its left and right. No more than a second later the Hunter's head looked straight into Kal's eyes even from it's mile distance as it's center eye rotated; the Geth impression of a glare.

"Real soon!" yelled Kal as he deactivated the zoom feature.

"What's wrong?" Vel asked nervously as Kal turned to face her.

"Geth recon squad, we gotta get out of here before-" The rest of Kal's words fell silent before the loud humming of the Normandy SR-2's engines as it flew overhead in the opposite direction and the outline of an object dropped out of its cargo bay doors.

"I'll be Keelah damned..." Kal whispered to himself as he watched the Normandy break off and fly back up into low orbit.

The M-44 Hammerhead dove to the ground rapidly; the friction of the air causing it to scream as it went. The hover engines kicked in a few hundred feet before hitting the ground; slightly bouncing off the grassy land and sending sparks up in the air upon impact but doing no damage to the vehicle itself.

Inside the cockpit, Shepard griped the two handles tight as Tali, sitting in the co-pilots seat, began to flip dozens of switches bringing the rest of the vehicles systems online.

"Stabilizers active, engine temperature normal, weapons online. Garrus?" said Tali flatly as she turned to look at Garrus sitting in the gunner seat behind her.

"Targeting system looks good, hit it Shepard." said the excited Turian; eagerly awaiting something to shoot at. Shepard threw the throttle up and the Hammerhead shot forward as the thrusters engaged. A moment later, as the Hammerhead softly hovered over several hills, Shepard picked up a familiar voice coming through his com link.

"This is squad leader Kal'Reegar to unidentified hovercraft, come in, Shepard you there?" Shepard adjusted his communicator to transmit through the Hammerhead's computers so his team mates could hear as well.

"This is Shepard, good to hear from you Reegar." the commander responded enthusiastically.

"Shepard, you crazy human bastard, you have a bad habit of showing up right when I need you." Shepard chuckled as Tali joined in.

"Reegar, it's Tali, what are you doing here?"

"Was about to ask you the same thing Ma'am. You probably noticed the Geth frigates in orbit. They've got three dropships in the region. They're setting up some kind of beacon and deploying recon squads."

"What are they doing here Reegar?" asked Shepard.

"Your guess is as good as mine. We've got a squad of troopers headed our way. Think you can assist?" replied the Quarian marine as he and Vel'Lara made their way down the spiral steps of the 5-story high stone tower.

"Find a safe place to take cover, we're on our way." said the Spectre as he hit the booster controls for the Hammerhead's engines.

"Make it quick Shepard, I don't know how long we can-" Kal felt all the air leave his lungs as he and Vel exited the tower and found themselves at gunpoint before two Geth Prime units.

"Reegar?" Shepard called over Kal's communicator. "Kal what's wrong?" The Quarian marine didn't move a muscle as he tried to formulate a plan of escape. Vel stood next to him with her hand shaking; barely able to keep her pistol in her hand.

Kal slowly reached for the grenade hooked to his belt and held the button on it down. "Vel'Lara..." he whispered.

"Sir, I'm scared" she said anxiously.

"Listen...as soon as I throw this grenade, I want you to run, you hear me? I want you to run as fast as you can and don't look back..."

"What?" she said with a gasp. Reegar slowly began to countdown the seconds.

"3...2...1..."

"Wait!" she yelled. Suddenly the Geth Primes lowered their weapons and a single Geth infiltrator stepped through from between the units. Kal carefully removed his large finger from his grenade; deactivating the detonator. The lone Geth infiltrator walked closer to the two Quarian marines and glanced at both of them as its face plates pulsed. It made a series of stuttering sounds and then finally spoke.

"Network download successful. Consensus: We do intend physical harm to Quarian-creators. Alert: Activating containment protocols, this area will now be quarantined."

"Quarantined?" Just as Kal spoke, a wave of blue energy flew across the sky; emanating from each Geth dropships landing zone and finally coming to the ground; forming a pyramid shaped shield with a hexagon texture. It was massive, completely engulfing the kilometers of terrain they now stood inside.

Shepard and his team mates could all see it from the windows of the Hammerhead. "Kal what just happened?" said the Spectre over the radio.

"I think it's best you ask the Geth when you get here..." Kal replied. Tali and Shepard shared a puzzled expression at one another before returning to the controls.

Moments later the Hammerhead pulled up in front of the ruins entrance. Shepard, Tali, and Garrus all hoped out just as Kal, Vel, and the Geth were walking toward them.

"Reegar, you alright?" said the Spectre as he suspiciously watched the movements of the two Geth Primes.

"Fine, but the way these guys put it, won't be for long" replied Kal.

"What are the Geth doing here?" Tali exclaimed. "And what is this barrier?" Before Kal could answer, the Geth infiltrator stepped forward.

"Containment barrier has been erected to prevent escape of Old machine platform."

"Old machine? You knew about Sovereign?" Shepard asked.

"Terminal Legion's anti-virus software sent out a network wide alert before succumbing to complete control of Nazara. We we sent to contain and destroy the malfunctioning platform."

"That explains why you came beyond the veil"

"Yes"

"But that doesn't explain why you didn't shoot us" Kal interjected.

"Harming Quarian-creators would affect future cooperation with Shepard-commander. It is our desire that a truce be maintained until existence of Old machine threat has been eliminated."

"I guess Legion did more for us than we thought" said Tali quietly.

"So what do we do now?" Garrus asked, giving an open hand gesture. Shepard glanced at the Turian then back to the Geth platform.

"You're sure Sovereign is in this area?"

"We detected anomalies in this region. There is a 98.3% probably" the synthetic replied.

"Let's get to work then. We can search the northern perimeter, you and your Geth troops can take the south" the Spectre suggested.

"We concur. We will execute seek and destroy protocols."

"Mind we hitch a ride Shepard?" said Kal using his thumb to point at Vel'Lara who shyly stood next to him. Shepard smiled and used his head to motion towards the Hammerhead. The Spectre and his team as well as the two Quarian marines then boarded the Hammerhead. After everyone took their seats inside, the engines fired up and Shepard boosted away toward the North.

The Geth platforms all watched as the M-44 sped away then all turned and began to march south. Before they could even take two steps however, a blue fire-ball emerged from the darkness of the ruins and impacted with one of the Geth prime units; disintegrating it in an instant. The second Prime unit and the Infiltrator platform both spun around to see a single Geth platform walk out of the darkness; blue colored energy spiraling around its body.

The Prime was first to react; lifting its heavy mass accelerator chain gun, it unleashed a merciless barrage of thermal shells onto its enemy. But this proved to be useless. Sovereign lifted his hand in front of the shots which caused them to deflect off an invisible barrier. The prime ceased fire to see that its attempt to damage its foe was futile. Sovereign responded by sending a ray of energy spiraling out of its finger which wrapped itself around the Prime and lifted it off its feat.

"Error, motor controls no responsi-" before the Prime finished its sentence, it was thrown hard against a stone pillar causing it to shatter into dozens of pieces of scrap. The Infiltrator began to fire its pulse-rifle; only managing to unload half a clip before a bolt of lightning fired from Sovereign's eye, sent it dragging across the ground on its back.

The Infiltrator struggled on the ground as it tried to lift its torso, but with no avail. It's servos squeaked and sparks flew from its joints from the bitter amount of damage it had received. In in cyan-colored vision it could see amongst the static, the overpowered figure of the its enemy standing over it.

The Infiltrators voice cycled through several different high and low pitches as it tried to speak. "Critical-critical-critical error, damage-damage sustained, attempting network up-" Sovereign thrust his fist down into the chest of the Infiltrator and ripped out a handful of wires which immediately deactivated the platform.

Sovereign stood over the metal corpse for a moment; observing the damage, then knelt down next to it and slowly reached out with his glowing finger which proceeded to connect with the optic of the downed Infiltrator.

Energy flowed through his arm and entered the corpse of the Infiltrator; causing it to twitch radically.

"ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL..."

Back inside the M-44 Hammerhead, Kal desperately tried to establish radio contact with the rest of his team. However, the Geth quarantine barrier was generating massive amounts of interference. Shepard had explained their situation; Sovereign's return and Legion's kidnapping. As much as it pained him to hunt the Geth that saved his life several times, he knew it had to be done, lest Sovereign grow more and more until finally reaching his full power.

"Squad Leader Kal'Reegar to teams 1 and 2" static was the only response. "Damn shield is screwing with my radio. Tali, is anything you can do?" Tali activated her omni-tool an accessed Kal's suit interface.

"Just a second..."

"Tali?" Vel said half-excited. "Tali'Zorah? The Quarian hero of the citadel?"

"Um, yes that's me" Tali replied showing little enthusiasm.

"Wow! I mean, it's pleasure to-I mean this is such an honor. You've done so much for our people."

"Well I'm flattered Ms..."

"Oh uh, Vel, Vel'Lara vas Neema" she answered trying to maintain composure.

"Thank you Vel'Lara" Tali said as she turned to look at Shepard. "But Shepard is the real hero to our people." she finished using a loving tone. Vel looked at Tali's eyes through her visor then turned to Shepard to see the loving smile on his face.

"Oh...I mean OH!" Vel found herself embarrassed at her realization and decided not to carry the conversation any further.

"Try it now Kal" said Tali, deactivating her omni-tool.

"Teams 1 and 2, this is Squad Leader Kal'Reegar, do you read?" two voices started to reply over the radio; garbled at first, but becoming clear after a few seconds.

"Corporal Sen'Chelor reporting sir" "Laan'Elra here, good to hear your voice sir."

"Listen up marines, mission parameters have been changed. Report back to the shuttle immediately." Reegar ordered.

"Roger that sir. Just need to clarify a few things with these Geth over here and then..." Kal could hear shots ring out over the radio. "Yuday no! Keelah!"

"Corporal! Report!" Kal shouted.

"Private Yuday is down! The Geth are-" static took over.

"Corporal? Corporal Chelor come in!" nothing but static. "Elra, whats your status!"

"Kal, what's going on?" Tali exclaimed with deep worry.

"My team, I've lost...Shepard turn to heading 327. I need to get to back to shuttle now!"

"Hold on." With a sharp turn, the group inside the Hammerhead was thrown out of their seats as Shepard jerked the vehicle in its new direction.

A minute later they passed over a grassy hill with the Quarian transport in sight. Shepard put the vehicle in hover mode as it came to a halt a few hundred yards from the transport. Reegar was the first to hop out of the hatch of the Hammerhead followed by Vel and Tali. Just as Kal began running toward the transport, Moro'Zenia leaned out of the shuttles side hatch. Kal stopped in his tracks.

"Thank Keelah..." he whispered to himself. His relief however, was quickly replaced by panic as a Geth dropship flew overhead and dropped a Geth Colossus behind the transport.

"No...Zenia get out of there!" Kal yelled. It was too late. The Colossus fired a plasma burst from its optic which impacted with the transport; causing it to explode with its contents being instantly incinerated by the engulfing flames.

The shock wave from the blast threw Kal and his fellow Quarians, Vel and Tali, off their feet. Kal's vision blurred as he hit the ground. Slowly, the sounds around him became muffled as darkness crept over his eyes until finally, he succumbed to unconsciousness.


	31. Ch31: Resurgence

Shepard hit the boosters of the M-44 Hammerhead. He raced towards the hulking Geth Colossus with Garrus having his hand on the trigger of the mass accelerator cannon. Flying over the wreckage of the Quarian transport, Garrus opened fire as soon as he had clear shot. Two missiles impacted with the colossus; its shields flickered from the blasts before it returned fire; shooting several plasma bursts from its ocular cannon. The Hammerhead strafed side to side as it dodged the first two bolts, then counter attacked. The next missile broke through its shields before the next two finished it all together.

The Colosus exploded; its many limbs flying off in all directions, one landing a few meters from where Tali and Vel tried to awaken Reegar from his slumber. The Hammerhead hovered around and stopped 5 meters from where the unconscious Quarian marine lay.

Kal slowly stirred; the muffled voice of a female Quarian echoing through his head. Gently, he tried to open his eyes; blurry at first but a few blinks changed that as his hearing also came back to reality.

"Kal! Kal'Reegar!" Both Tali and Vel yelled simultaneously as they nudged him; trying to bring about a sign of life.

"Ughhh..." groaned Kal as his mind came into focus. His vitals displayed across his visor; minor concussion, no suit breaches, nothing serious.

"Kal! Are you alright?" asked Tali with great worry and concern as Reegar lifted up his torso.

"I...I'll live..." He suddenly remembered the reality of the situation; the recent events coming back to him. "Zenia...the transport!" Kal turned to look at the smoldering wreckage that was once their shuttle. The heap of metal still ablaze with smoke rising high into the sunset sky.

Kal averted his gaze and covered his visor with both hands. Were he a softer man, he felt he would have weaped over the death of his squad. Losing soldiers was never easy for any leader. No matter how many times you see it, it never gets any better.

Tali placed her hand gently on his shoulder and leaned in close. "There was nothing you could have done..." she said softly, trying to keep composure. Shepard and his Turian companion jumped out of the Hammerhead a moment later.

"Reegar!" the Spectre shouted. "You still in one piece?" Reegar slowly rose to his feet while keeping silent. He gazed at the transports wreckage for a moment. His eyes narrowed and he drew his assault rifle.

"Those Geth Son's a bitches are gonna wish we destroyed them centuries ago when I'm through with them..."

"I can't believe it" Vel inquired. "They tricked us?"

"I'm not so sure" Shepard interjected. "Geth don't lie. There must be more to this."

"There isn't any more to this!" Kal snapped; pointing aggressively at the Spectre "Those synthetic bastards planned this from the start! They won't stop until they kill all of us!"

"Kal! Calm down" said Tali; stepping in between the two. "Shepard's right, the Geth don't deceive. If they wanted to kill us they would have done it when we talked to them." She turned to Shepard. "Shepard, if I can retrieve a platform's memory core, I'm sure I can find out what happened."

"Good idea" Shepard replied. "It's anyone's guess, Sovereign has something to do with this."

"I don't care what their reasons are!" Reegar yelled. "One way or another, I'll have one of their heads for a desk-lamp..."

"Shepard, this area will be crawling with Geth soon or later, we need to find a way outta this barrier" said Garrus, gazing up at the towering barrier that encircled the 10 kilometer area.

"You're right" said Shepard as he proceeded to activate his communicator. "Shepard to Normandy, we need a pickup." Only static was heard over his earpiece. "Damn, the shield is messing with our-" he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness overwhelm him. He began to stumble forward, nearly falling over before Tali caught him.

"Shepard, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned for his well being. Shepard brought a hand to his forehead and looked her in the eyes.

"...Nothing...I just feel a little..." Shepard's eyes began to ring as a excruciating pain shot through his head. "ARGHH!" he yelled holding both sides of his head as he fell to the ground. Tali quickly knelt down next to him along with Garrus.

"Shepard!" the two yelled simultaneously. Shepard's eyes began to roll up inside his head. A moment later, he was unconscious; completely unresponsive.

Inside the tech lab of the Normandy, in the far corner of the room inside a glass case sitting on a metal desk was the Prothean relic Shepard had recovered in a previous mission. Unlike before the orb was now pulsing and emitting a strange noise. Mordin, who had been working at his desk took notice as the quiet echoing made its way to his ears. He turned his attention to it.

"Odd..." he said to himself as he made his way over to it. He didn't know what to think of this new activity from the strange device as he rested his hand under his chin.

"Hmm..." he carefully reached his into the leather glove attached to the glass casing that allowed the wearer to touch the contents. As his finger connected with the object, it passed straight through as if moving through liquid, and out the other side. He proceeded to wiggle his finger around inside the device but felt nothing. It was as if it was hollow. He removed his hand from the glove and pondered for a moment. Then, opening the case, took the device in hand letting it hover above the palm of his right hand. Coming to a conclusion, he decided to experiment by removing his own glove and then touched the device with his bare hand.

The pulsing increased along with the volume of the noise it emitted. Several holographic rings appeared around the orb displaying a language he did not recognize. The rings began to spin around the device until the symbols were a blur until finally a shock wave burst from the device and threw the professor to the floor; shattering the window that overlooked the drive-core in the process. Mordin caressed his forehead with his bare hand barely keeping conscious. Jacob stormed in a moment later and ran to the professor's aid.

"Professor Solus, you alright?" The former Cerberus soldier helped him to his feet. Once he was standing properly Mordin stared down at the relic hovering a few inches above the floor to see it had returned to its inactive and normal state.

"What happened Professor?" Mordin was silent for a moment as he recaptured the event that befell him before replying.

"Do not know..."

_Hundreds of images blazed through his mind. Images of ancient technological cities, of beings he had no recollection of. The Protheans; he only knew their name. He could see the blurry images of them. The sky was blood red, the people fell to their knees, begging their gods to for salvation from the threat of the Reapers. One by one they were harvested like cattle. Flesh and bone replaced by wire and machinery._

_The visage of the figures that were once Prothean changed to a familiar, defeated enemy; the Collectors. The Reapers changed them into tools of labor. The visions increased in pace. It was umbareable. Even in his coma he could feel his heart rate increase. The drum-like beat becoming louder and louder._

_The vision became clear and vivid as a familiar world in the void of space could be seen; Ilos. As the planet grew closer into view and he descended into the dark clouds, a voice with an unrecognizable vocal pattern, yet familiar language spoke._

_"Save us..." Several words followed shortly; barely audible but instructions with a clear purpose. They melded into the mind of the Spectre. He knew what it was he had to do._

"Incoming!" shouted Kal. The Hammerhead sped across the plains with two Geth dropships hot on their tail. Garrus strafed the vehicle left and right to avoid torpedo fire while Reegar sat on the missile turret controls. Unfortunately not a single shot could piece the heavy kinetic barriers of the Geth vessels.

Tali was knelt down in the back of the vehicle with Shepard layed across her lap. She jumped slightly when he shot up out of unconsciousness just as a torpedo impacted into the ground a few meters from the tail of the vehicle.

"Shepard!" yelled Tali, surprised by his sudden awakening.

"What's going on?" the Spectre asked though it sounded more like a demand. Garrus yelled from the pilots seat up from as he griped the controls tight.

"Geth dropships right on our ass! Our missiles aren't doing crap against their shields!" Another torpedo hit just off the port side or the vehicle causing it to tilt to the right slightly.

"Shit!" the Turian shouted. Shepard looked around the cab of the vehicle as if searching for something. His eyes locked on the M-920 Cain laid out on the weapon rack.

"Garrus, hold her steady!" Before the Turian could ask his commander what he was planning, Shepard pulled a lever, causing the hatch to fly off top of the Hammerhead. Lifting his upper torso out of the small opening, the Spectre lifted up the Cain and took careful aim at the dropship to the left. He squeezed the trigger. The plates of the weapon let out a spiraling glow before the powerful grenade was propelled from the weapon.

The shell only flew halfway before impacted with a torpedo fired from the dropship. The resulting explosion was catastrophic; nearly causing the Hammerhead to perform a front flip. The dropships however were unaffected and still in pursuit.

Garrus struggled to maintain control. "What the f—your really helping Shepard!" Shepard could not hear his comment over the blasts of wind that skid across his head. Instead he opened the back hatch of his weapon and tossed out the depleted power cell. Sticking his left hand back down into the vehicle he yelled.

"Power cell! Hurry!" several more torpedos rained down around them. When he felt an object in his hand, he lifted his hand back out and placed the fresh power cell into his weapon.

Now was the time. He couldn't miss again. He lifted the weapon, carefully letting the back end rest on his shoulder. He put a little pressure on the trigger; letting the weapon charge at a slow rate. He waited. Carefully eying the dropship he could see another torpedo loaded into its launcher. __

"Just give me one inch..." he thought to himself. The torpedo fired. Shepard carefully calculated its trajectory and just as it passed from his line of sight, fired the tactical nuclear shell. The dropship was completely taken by surprise.

The shell hit the back end of the port side of the dropship; destroying its port thruster. Without it, the dropship's starboard thruster took over and caused it to turn sharply to right. As it did, Shepad's prediction came true. The dropship clipped the side of its twin; sending both hurling to ground with flaming debris rolling across the mossy fields.

Bending down back inside the Hammerhead, Shepard gave a blank stare at his Turian companion who's jaw had dropped.

"I take it back..." mumbled Garrus as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Vel rapidly turned her head at everyone inside the vehicle

"What just happened?"

"Shepard happened" replied Kal with a smirk behind his visor.

The Spectre tossed his weapon to the side and made his way to the front of vehicle. "Move over" he said as he took Garrus' place in the pilots seat.

"Whoa, where are we going?" asked Garrus.

"Trust me..."

Sovereign walked amongst the Prothean ruins; his Geth pawns scavenging about. As he made his way through the courtyard of stone, he came to a large structure shaped like a Cathedral. He stepped inside as if knowing the place by heart. The room he found himself inside was very large. Four pillars made up the foundation with ancient, unlit torches placed around the walls. In the center of the room, illuminated by the sun rays which shone through the cracks in the ceiling, was a 20ft tall Prothean statue; chipped, cracked, and covered in a mossy growth. Carefully he observed the monument. After a moment of scanning he fired a bolt of lightning from his body's single optic. The magnitude of energy impacted with the statue. Stones flew all over the room as the it exploded. Several flew at Sovereign but only curved around his kinetic barrier. He stood and waited for the dust to clear. After a moment his prize could be seen...a Prothean beacon.

He walked within arms reach of the ancient device and threw his arms out causing it to activate. The beacon glowed a bright green as his Geth body was lifted off the ground. The information quickly fed into his mind. Were he purely organic, it would have had a devastating effect on him, but the power of a Reaper mind was something not even the galaxy's most brilliant scientists could explain. He levitated back onto the ground softly as he scrolled through the information in his mind and found exactly what he was looking for. He spun around when he heard the moving servos of a Geth infiltrator behind him. The platform approached him and adjusted its lens as it awaited its next order.

"HAVE ALL TROOPERS SEARCH THE NORTHERN CAVERNS FOR THE CHAMBER." The unit made a series of stuttering sounds; complying with his demand and then turned to leave the room. The Reaper turned slightly to peer over at the beacon one more time and then fired a beam from his finger. The beacon shattered into metal debris rendering it useless to others who would seek the knowledge it contained.


	32. Ch32: Resolution

Shepard never eased off the throttle. Wherever he was taking them, he wanted to get their fast. The group was weary as to their new heading, though no one said anything. From what they could tell, it seemed he had a plan, yet was piloting the Hammerhead straight toward the edge of the Geth barrier. Garrus would look back and forth from the co-pilot controls to Shepard.

"So...where are we going, exactly?"

"We're almost there" was the Spectre's simple reply.

"Almost where?" Tali inquired further. Shepard remained silent. They Hammerhead made a couple of slight turns around a few mossy trees before they came to the foot of a mountain in the clearing.

"Here" Shepard said as he let off the boosters and brought the vehicle to a halt. He flipped a single switch setting the vehicle in hover and then made his way out the hatch.

"Why are we stopping here?" Kal said but Shepard was already outside the vehicle. He turned to Garrus who only shrugged and followed his commander. Soon they were all outside the vehicle following behind Shepard who was pacing back and forth against the side of the mountain; moving his hands along the rocks as if searching for something. His hands finally found a hollow spot in between two boulders.

"This is it" he said turning to the Turian. "Garrus, make a hole" Acting on his order, Garrus ran back to the Hammerhead and jumped inside taking position in the gunner's seat. Everyone else took cover behind a tree a good distance from the wall. A simple pull of the trigger and a guided missile flew from the M-44's cannon and exploded as it connected with the rocks. The group peaked out of cover to see a dust cloud envelope where the missile had struck. As they walked out of cover, the dust cleared to reveal a large cave entrance.

"How did you know?" said the Turian leaning out of the Hammerhead's top hatch.

"They'll be time for that later" the Spectre replied. "We need to keep moving" The team all took their places back inside the Hammerhead as Shepard carefully flew it into the narrow cave. It was dark at first, but a few dozen meters inside and the cave cleared, revealing a constructed tunnel at the end. He increased the vehicle to cruising speed as they entered the wider tunnel which descended down a ramp and lead into an underground canal with shallow water flowing on the tunnel floor.

The deeper they went, the more familiar the tunnel looked. The metal walls went up hundreds of feet and were filled with empty stasis pods. It looked just like the tunnels that lead to them to the conduit during their previous visit to the planet two years earlier. Garrus and Tali began to reminisce while Shepard continued to glance left and right as the Hammerhead hovered through the long canal.

"What is this place?" Vel asked curiously; awestruck by the pod-filled walls that ran along the tunnel as far as the eye could see. Persistent in his search, Shepard relieved her of her question while still scanning the walls.

"This is where the Protheans retreated when they realized they couldn't beat the Reapers"

"Keelah..." she mumbled as the Spectre continued to explain.

"Yes, they hid in tunnels like this and put themselves in stasis. Waiting, hoping that the Reapers would retreat and they could rebuild their civilization.

"What happened to them?" asked Kal, also taking interest in the topic.

"Their plan was in vain, the Reapers remained in the galaxy for centuries. By the time they withdrew back into dark-space, only a handful of Protheans remained. Their AI, Virgil, had to shut down hundreds of stasis pods to conserve power and remain online to warn the next civilization of the threat of the Reapers"

"This could happen us someday..." whispered Tali depressingly.

"We're gonna make sure it doesn't Tali" interjected the ever enthusiastic Garrus from the co-pilot seat. Shepard turned to Garrus and nodded in agreement as he spoke.

"That's right. As long I as draw breath, I plan to give the Reapers the fight of their so called 'Eternal' lives" The Hammerhead finally came to a fork in the tunnel. Shepard took the tunnel to the right without hesitation.

"You sure you know where we're going?" asked Garrus with much less enthusiasm than before. Shepard gave the Turian a single pat on the shoulder as he continued to navigate through the tunnel.

"I know exactly where we're going. Like I said, just trust me"

"If you say so Shepard. As long as we don't run in to any-" The beeping of the Hammerhead's ladar caused him to hold his words and notice two energy signatures displaying on screen. "Oh crap...Geth armatures dead ahead!"

Shepard pressed a single button which magnified the HUD on the front view screen. A pair of armatures were slowly moving straight toward them with their ocular cannons charging.

"Easy pickings..." Kal whispered with a smirk beneath his visor. The Geth armatures were instantly highlighted on his targeting computer. "Switching to cluster missiles!" Kal pulled the sticks trigger and a single warhead launched from the cannon. The armatures opened fire as the missile flew toward them. The energy blasts caused the M-44's shields to flicker as they impacted. Meanwhile the missile, just before reaching its target, burst open to reveal half a dozen smaller missiles. Three of the six warheads hit each unit; obliterating them and leaving behind very little wreckage.

"That's how a real gunner does it" said Kal who peaked around his computer and smirked at Garrus.

"Guess I should be taking notes" Garrus commented back causing Kal to chuckle.

"Must have been scouts" Shepard concluded. "No doubt they managed to inform their buddies before being destroyed. We need to hurry" The Hammerhead increased in speed and zoomed over the burning wreckage of the armatures. A moment later, a single Geth hunter de-cloaked and made a stuttering sound; reporting the position of it's enemies to the rest of the collective.

Minutes later they came to a dead-end with a waterfall; the only other way to go being another tunnel 10 meters up from their position.

"Hang on" the Spectre hit the Hammerheads altitude thrusters which allowed the vehicle to climb and softly land on the upper level. "Not far now..." he whispered.

Three Geth juggernauts were next to attempt an attack on the Hammerhead. Kal quickly dispatched them a couple of cluster warheads. They moved on until coming to a halt in front of a large force-field that blocked their way.

"I assume you were expecting this?" The Turian said sarcastically turning to Shepard. The Spectre rolled his eyes without saying a word then quickly made his way out the hatch. Sliding off the side of the vehicle and landing in the ankle high water, he walked as close as he could get to the force-field. He observed the wall of energy for a second then proceeded to remove his glove, leaving his right hand bare. He wiggled his fingers and looked over his palm then slowly, reached out. As soon as his hand connected with the barrier, a ripple spread out from his hand and flowed through the entire force-field. A second later is faded from existence.

"Garrus saw the entire event from the view screen of the Hammerhead. "I'm officially impressed" he whispered to himself with a smile at the end. Shepard turned and motioned with his head for the team to follow as he began to his brisk walk. The rest of the group exited the vehicle and followed him to a pair of blast doors. They opened when they sensed Shepard's movement and they all stepped inside what they knew to be an elevator. As soon as they were all inside the doors slid shut and the platform began its angled descent.

A minute later and the elevator still showed no signs of an end. The bored Turian decided to break the silence. He turned to Tali who stood between him and Shepard.

"So about your immune system..."

"I WILL make you eat my shotgun" Tali hissed, annoyed by his teasing.

"Please?" said the Turian in a coy tone, trying to agitate her further. Shepard's eyes peered over at the two as he tried to hold back a chuckle, knowing full well what was coming next.

"No" Tali retorted, giving the Turian the a narrowed-eyed expression.

"Not even a little-" Garrus suddenly felt the barrel of Tali's shotgun rub against the side of his face. "Another time then..." he finished smirking.

The elevator finally came to a stop when they reached the bottom. The doors slid open and the group stepped out; surprised to find that the only thing Shepard had led them to, was a dead end at the end of a short corridor.

"It's a dead end?" Vel questioned nervously. Everyone turned to look at Shepard who kept silent and then walked forward and passed straight through the wall which rippled from contact with his body. The entire group gasped from the shock of the event. A moment later Shepard's head peered out of the wall.

"You all coming or not?" The four shared a glance at each other. Garrus shrugged and then followed Shepard through with the Tali, Kal, and Vel all in toe.

"A hologram...clever" Kal said to himself as they arrived on the other side. They came to a door at the end of the next corridor which opened at the push of button on the wall. Stepping through, they found themselves in a large temple-like room with a shrine at the end overlooking a cliff shining in the sunset. The four stared in awe at the brilliantly designed room as Shepard walked over to the shrine. In the center was a small pyramid shaped object.

When they all approached a flickering hologram emerged from the object. "Greetings Shepard, I've been expecting you"

"Hello Virgil, it's been a while" Shepard replied.

"Virgil?" Tali interrupted. "But we were told it was damaged beyond repair"

"I am programmed to only respond to those who have acquired the information of the Prothean beacons" The ancient AI continued. "It is I who led you here Shepard, so that you may learn the secrets of the Protheans, their extensive knowledge on the Reapers"

"So it was you who spoke to me in my vision"

"Yes, you succeeded in destroying a Reaper. You have earned the knowledge the Protheans hid here many millennia ago"

"What can you tell about the Reapers?" the Spectre asked sternly.

"It is not what I can tell you Shepard, but what I can give you. The identity of the item you shall receive was not programmed into my databases. All I can tell you is that is will be significant in your battle to save the galaxy from total annihilation. Go now Shepard, go and take what is rightfully yours" Virgils hologram disappeared completely and the group stood in silence for a few moments.

"...That's it?" said the Turian. As if to answer his question, bolts of energy emerged from the walls and behind the shrine, a portal emerged. They gazed at its brilliance for a moment before Shepard proceeded to walk towards it. Garrus stopped him by grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Whoa, whoa...are you sure this is safe?"

"We didn't come all this way just to turn back now Garrus. There's something on the other side of that wormhole and I'm going to get it" Shepard turned toward the portal and walked forward, letting the Turian's hand slide off his shoulder as he leaped into the portal. The rest of the group followed suite.

Garrus came flying through the portal; rolling as he hit the ground. The rest came through shortly after with Tali landing on her back on top of Garrus who yelped in pain as she hit. The Turian looked up from where he lay on his chest to see Shepard standing over him.

"You gonna help me up or what?" The Turian said with an annoyed tone. Shepard grabbed onto to Tali's hand and helped her to her feet then did the same with Garrus a second later. Kal mimicked Shepard's action with Vel.

They all found themselves inside a large dome-shaped room. It was dark with the portal being the only source of light. There were no windows, no sunlight coming in from anywhere in the room. Aligning the walls were ancient looking computers, offline from age. In the center of the room was a single, wide, metal pillar. Shepard proceeded over to it while his companions followed close behind. When he was within arms reach, his used his hand to brush off some of the dust that covered a glass screen with an outline of the hand of a species he did not recognize; mostly likely Prothean.

"What is it Shepard?" Tali asked. Shepard ignored her question and placed his hand over the screen. It glowed brightly which caused Shepard to recoil and retract his hand quickly. The metal pillar began to lower into the floor to reveal that it was hollow. When it was fully descended into the floor, only a small pedestal remained with a tube-shaped, 6 inch long container. Shepard carefully and slowly reached out and grabbed it; holding it close to his face to examine it closer.

"That's what's going to help us stop the Reapers?" Garrus commented.

"Thought you would have learned by now that big things do come in small packages Garrus" replied the Spectre with a smirk as he turned to his Turian companion. "Come on, those tunnels may lead take us under the Geth barrier. Then we can contact the Normandy and get off this rock"

They proceeded back through the portal to the shrine room, this time without a rough landing on the floor. They proceeded to walk toward the door when a stuttering sound stopped them.

"What was that?" Vel said nervously. Suddenly, half a dozen Geth crawlers emerged from each wall. The synthetics locked targeting lasers on each of them before they could think to draw their weapons. Garrus watched as one of the tag lasers pointed at his forehead.

"Oh...crap..."


	33. Ch33: Renunciation

The five of them froze as the Geth crawlers held their lives in their cold, synthetic hands. The targeting lasers of each crawler pointed at their foreheads. Shepard had a passing thought to reach for his rifle and attempt to dive into cover, but Geth think at the speed of light. Any sudden movement and he would be ended in a split-second.

Garrus stared at Shepard the entire time with his eyes wide open as if saying 'well, you going to get us out of this one?' The Spectre could see the Turian's expression in the corner of his eye; afraid to even speak. Any idea seemed stupid at this point.

Tali and Kal seemed to be fairing better. Tali simply waited faithfully for her lovers next move. Anything plan he executed, suicidal or not, she would follow him; through hell and back. Kal, with his disciplined personality, kept his mind clear. Vel was scared out of her mind. Serving in the Quarian Marine corp only to end up in a near-death situation, wasn't exactly where she saw herself a few months back at the recruiting office.

"Shepard..." Garrus mumbles. Shepard remains frozen without a response. "Shepard..." the Turian repeats.

"Working on it..." Shepard mumbles back. A few moments later, the door at the far end of the room where they came in exploded. The two panels were sent flying against both sides of the room. A familiar Geth platform then emerged from the smoke. Two of the crawlers took position on each side of it.

"I OFFER YOU A CHOICE SHEPARD...AN EXCHANGE...THE CONTAINER...FOR YOUR LIVES..." Shepard turned to look at Garrus then back to his nemesis.

"I don't know what your talking about..." he says in a very convincing, stern tone. Nazara easily sees past the human concept of sarcasm and lies however.

"YOU BELIEVE TO BE THE ONLY INDIVIDUAL TO HAVE ACQUIRED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROTHEANS GREATEST SECTRET...YOU ARE FOOLISH..."

Shepard curses under his breath. How could he possibly know. "...What do you want with it?"

"THE ANSWER DOES NOT NEED TO BE SAID SHEPARD...I COULD HAVE DESTROYED YOU THE MOMENT I SET FOOT IN THIS ROOM...BUT YOU ARE...UNIQUE IN THE EYES OF MY KIND...I OFFER THIS GESTURE OF GOOD FAITH...REFUSE, AND YOUR DEATH WILL COME SOONER THAN I PREFER..."

Shepard turned to Garrus to who shook his head in disapproval then to his Quarian lover who gave a nod; acknowledging that she supports any decision he may make. The Spectre lowered his gaze to the floor and stood in thought before re-directing his eyes to Nazara with a new resolve in his expression.

"Legion..." he said taking a few steps forward. The possessed platform tilted its head to the side in puzzlement. "...You may be an AI but you have just as much power as I do to fight this...if your in there...please..."

Nazara surprisingly makes few stuttering sounds; the Geth language, then takes a step forward. The Spectre remains hopeful that his the synthetic he had come to call his friend, will overcome his possession. However all hope is quickly lost...

"YOUR LEGION REMAINS OFFLINE...THE MIND OF AN AI CAN NOT OVERCOME MY POWER SHEPARD...I OFFER YOU ONE FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER THE ARTIFACT..."

Shepard stood dumbfounded. He knew he had nothing to bargain with, no heroic plan of escape. Surrender seemed the only available option at the moment. But he had to try. Whatever secrets the Prothean device contained, he couldn't let it fall into the hands of a Reaper. It could be their only chance at defeating them once and for all.

Taking on a smirk, Shepard hoped that maybe his Spectre charm would allow him to talk his way out of the situation. "You're not going to shoot me. You don't even know if I have what you want. I could have hidden it somewhere...or you could just shoot me and hope you don't damage it..." Sovereign was silent for a moment before his face plates lifted into the position of a Geth's smile.

"YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH SHEPARD...PERHAPS IF I ALTER THE CONDITIONS OF OUR TRADE..." Without anticipating this next move, Shepard watches in horror as beam of spiraling energy shoots from Sovereign's hand, wraps itself around Tali's neck, and pulls her toward the possessed platform.

"TALI!" Shepard yells as he watches his fiance flail around in the Reaper's hold; barely able to scream from the constriction of her throat.

"THIS IS THE PRICE OF YOUR ORGANIC DELUSIONS...I KNOW YOU FEEL THIS..." the Reaper says without even a hint of emotion.

"Don't you touch her!" the Spectre hissed at his arch enemy. The Reaper outstretched his other arm.

"THE ATRIFACT..." The Spectre felt his muscles freeze and his mind go blank. He wanted to lunge forward in a desperate attempt to rescue his soon to be life-mate, but all it would take is one wrong movement, and the Reaper would not hesitate to snap her fragile Quarian neck.

Unbeknownst to the group, while everyone was distracted, Vel'Lara, who stood behind Kal, folded both arms behind her back and brought her omni-tool to life. She began to work on hacking the Geth crawler run-times secretly. Years of engineering back on the Rayya has taught her how to operate an algorithm without even looking at the holographic projection of the tool itself.

Tali was the only one who noticed this in the bottom of her blurring vision as she struggled in the choke-hold. She noticed Shepard resigning to defeat as he began to step forward and reached behind his back for the Prothean device.

"D-Don't do it...Sh-Shepard!" she managed to squeeze from her vocals.

"...I'm sorry Tali..." the Spectre replied sadly.

"I'm not!" Vel suddenly blurted out. With one press of her omni-tool all Geth crawlers in the room instantly shifted their heads to Sovereign with targeting lasers locked onto his radiating form. Before the Reaper could assess this new development, every crawler unit in the room fired their ocular pulse cannons; striking his kinetic barrier with massive force. He staggered in several directions which caused him to release his hold on the Quarian engineer. Garrus, Kal, and Vel all drew weapons and laid down cover fire while the Spectre rushed to the aid of his Quarian fiance.

"Let's move!" Shepard commanded as he pulled Tali to her feet and retreated to the exit with his team following behind. The crawlers provided an excellent distraction. Sovereign was unable to pursue as he battered by their powerful blasts.

"USELESS PAWNS!" Channeling his anger into power, the Reaper created a massive biotic field that exploded through the room; shredding the crawlers and leaving only their white ectoplasmic blood behind.

"PURSUE THEM...LEAVE SHEPARD'S BODY INTACT...RETRIEVE THE ARTIFACT..."

All five reached the elevator back up to the tunnels. Shepard hit the ascend button before even having both feet on the platform. Nearly all of them were panting from the adrenaline that still overtook them. Remembering who to thank for their escape, Kal turned to Vel.

"Nice work kid. I'll make sure the board gives you a medal." he said with a smile. Tali too showed her appreciation.

"I will put in a recommendation as well. You deserve a...a..." Tali began to wobble before she collapsed to her knees from her vertigo.

"Tali?" Shepard knelt down at her side.

"I'm sorry Shepard..." she said to her lover, leaving him confused for a moment. The Spectre began checking her suit when Kal walked over and gently lifted her veil back, revealing a small empty compartment in the back of her helmet. Kal looked at Shepard and shook his head.

"Tali" Shepard started. "What did you do?" She took a few deep breathes before responding.

"I—those dropships would have killed all of us...there weren't any spare power cells so..."

"The power cell she gave you for the Cain" Kal interjected. "She took it from her suit. Her filters aren't working. Based on the time since then, figure she has 10 minutes before her oxygen reserves run out." Kal turned from Tali to Vel and noticed she was gazing down at the floor with her hands clasped tightly together below her waist. Slowly he rose and walked over to here.

"You were the only one sitting next to her..." he said suspiciously.

"I-I'm sorry! She told me not to say anything! I didn't think-"

"What? That she would either suffocate inside her suit? Or worse, catch something fatal when she has to rip her mask off!" Kal interrupted.

"I'm sorry...I tried to..." she was barely able to get the words out, feeling guilty for her actions.

"You should have stopped her!" Kal snapped.

"Kal..." said Tali in between breaths. "It's not her fault. It was my choice." Kal backed away from Vel with anger still in his eyes.

"Damnit Tali." said Shepard as he lifted her helmet so that she was looking into his eyes. "Why do you have to be so damn selfless..."

"I do it for you Shepard." she replied softly with a smile. "I can..." she rose to her feet with Shepard helping her. "I'll make it. I'm just a little light-headed." Kal placed his hands on his hips and shook his head as he turned to Tali.

"Ma'am if your father were here...well...I guess I don't even want to think about it..."

The elevator finished its long ascent and the team all made their way to the Hammerhead still waiting for them. Luckily the Geth had left it intact. Apparently they didn't expect them to escape. All five boarded quickly; Shepard in the pilots seat with Tali as co-pilot, and Garrus on the gun. Kal and Vel took a seat in the back. The thrusters soon flared to life and the vehicle boosted down the watery tunnel. They continued for a few hundred meters when in the distance, they spotted a divide in the tunnel.

"Which way?" Shepard said turning to Tali. A few inputs in her console a map of the tunnel displayed.

"Go left, it will lead us underneath the Geth barrier. From there it's only 300 meters from the exit." she replies flatly. Shepard jerked the sticks hard left following her instruction. The tunnel formed a ramp that went up for 50 meters before leveling out once again into a long, flat corridor. About 100 meters later they passed under the Geth barrier and communications were restored.

"We've just passed under the barrier." Tali confirmed.

"Ground team to Normandy, we need an evac 200 meters north of our position."

"Good to finally hear from you commander, bringing the Normandy in now." Jeff replied over the communicator.

A moment later they heard a loud thud on top of the Hammerhead. "ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL OF THIS FORM."

"What the hell was that?" Kal exclaimed. Garrus proceeded to rotate the missile turret backward and found that a Geth Prime crackling with energy, had climbed onto the back of the vehicle.

"Whoa!" Garrus fired two missiles one after the other which the Prime dodged by pivoting its body. Before he could let out a third missile the possessed Prime grabbed the barrel of the M-44's cannon and tore it off; casting it aside.

"We got a big problem here Shepard!" A large synthetic fist punched through the hull following the Turian's comment. It reached around inside the vehicle trying to grab anyone of them as they leaned away trying to avoid it. Kal quickly grabbed his assault rifle and began to fire through the roof as the fist retracted again and again, continuing to thrust its fist through the hull with ease.

With one final breach the Prime managed to grab the Kal's weapon and cast it off. It then began to bend the hull outward. Just as it head came into view and it began to reach for the marine, Shepard looked back then quickly ignited the the Hammerhead's thrusters. The Prime was crushed and fell off the back of the vehicle as it hit the tunnel ceiling. Everyone inside was thrown around including Kal who had cracked his visor when his helmet hit the inside of the vehicle.

"Please warn me before you do something like again!" Scowled the Quarian marine. Vel instinctively pulled out a can of sealant from her belt's pouch and was about to spray it along the crack in his visor before he slapped her hand away. She recoiled and dropped the can in the process then went silent.

"The exit is just 50 meters ahead...keep...go..." Tali slumped over on the controls limp. Shepard, struck with fear, turned and took his right hand off the stick to nudge her.

"Tali? Tali!"

"Caution, enemy detected." chimed the M-44's VI. They were only 20 meters from the outside daylight when a colossus dropped down in front of the vehicle.

"Dammit!" The Spectre tried to hit the Hammerhead's lateral thrusters but it was too late. The colossus raised its two front limbs in the air and slammed down on the vehicle just before impact. The limbs came in behind the seats of Tali and Shepard and pinned the vehicle to the ground. He quickly picked up his unconscious fiance and scooted to the back of the vehicle along with Garrus. As they did the colossus used what leverage it had and ripped the front end of the vehicle off.

"GO!" ordered the Spectre. All five ran out from the broken half of the vehicle directly under the colossus and out the other end with Shepard carrying Tali over his shoulder. As big as it was, by the time the hulking platform was able to turn around, its targets were already running out of the tunnel. Siege pulses from its ocular cannon rained down at their feet as they made their way out of the exit.

"Normandy, we need the shuttle down here now!" the Spectre demanded over his communicator, not bothering to wait for a reply as he lead his team around and under a series of mossy trees. It wasn't long before a dropship flew overhead and dropped a squad of Geth troopers down on their position. Lasers whizzed past them from behind with only a few hitting and being deflected by their kinetic barriers. They came to a clearing a few meters ahead and took cover behind the rubble of what appeared to be a ruined, stone building. The Geth rushed in for an attack with the Colossus following not far behind.

"They're charging, don't give the synthetic bastards an inch!" commanded Reegar over the sound of gunfire. Shepard layed Tali's unconscious body down behind the collapsed pillar with Garrus to his left. He switched his Revenant machine gun to disruptor ammunition and peaked out of cover; downing two Geth troopers with a few bursts. Garrus to made a kill on a Geth hunter trying to flank to their left. Had it not been for its flashlight head giving it away, he would have never saw it on the corner of his Mantis' sniper scope. A quick shot through the optic and it was rendered inoperable.

Two Geth destroyers were the next to threaten their retreat. They sprayed their Firestorm flamethrowers mercilessly, setting the surrounding trees ablaze. Liquid flame splashed down on the pillar in front of the Spectre. The heat nearly seared his eyebrows had he not ducked in time.

Vel who was taking cover behind a large boulder next to Kal, noticed her friends in trouble and popped up to desperately try to stop their advance with a few shots from her Canifex pistol. A few shots flickered off the platforms shields which brought the attention of their flamethrowers down on them. Kal pulled her down just as a blaze flew overhead.

It would be a few minutes before the shuttle would reach them and things were already looking grim. They were being overwhelmed and Tali would not last much longer if continued to be deprived of oxygen. He had to either get her to a clean room quickly, or take her mask off and hope she won't inhale something deadly.

Vel too realized the gravity of the situation. She overlooked the the advancing Geth troops then to Kal when an idea struck her. "Cover me, I need to get Shepard."

"Stay down kid, you don't need to prove anything to me!" retorted Reegar.

"With all due respect sir, I wasn't asking for permission." Vel quickly shot up, keeping her head down as she ran to Shepard behind the pillar.

"Vel! God dammit!" Kal did what he could to cover her, nearly unloading a full clip of his Avenger to make sure she made it. Shepard and Garrus managed to down the destroyers when she dove in next to them. She scooted over to Shepard and lifted her veil back as she removed her suits power cell and handed it to him.

"What the hell are you doing?" exclaimed Shepard.

"I still have a half hour's worth of oxygen reserves. This is our only chance!" Shepard hesitated before taking it from her hand. The Spectre hastily removed the Cain from his back but as he was loading the power cell, he saw a bullet hole in the side of the weapon. The firing mechanism must have been damaged during their retreat. He peaked out and in the distance saw that the Colossus was approaching. He had to act now or it would be too late.

"Garrus, how's your throwing arm?"

"Depends what you need me to throw." the Turian replied as he came back down from a pop-shot. Shepard knew muscled Turian like Garrus could throw farther than him. He reluctantly handed his Turian companion the weapon then turned to address Vel'Lara.

"Vel, can you hack that Prime?" She peaked out of cover to see the exact platform in question before replying.

"Yeah, but what do you have in mind?"

"We're going to play a little hot-potato." he joked before continuing. "Garrus, set the Cain to overload. Vel, as soon as he tosses it, make sure that Prime catches it, then throw it at the Colossus. If we don't take that thing down, the shuttle won't stand a chance at getting us out of here."

"Got it Shepard." nodded Garrus.

"Ready." Vel acknowledged. The Spectre watched as Garrus flipped a few switches and with the press of a button on the weapon, it began to glow as the overload progressed.

"On three..." Vel prepared her omni-tool. "Three!" Garrus used all his might to toss the weapon through the air toward the Prime. Vel hacked it just in time. The unit caught the weapon flawlessly then pivoted its torso and flung it through the air at the marching Colossus still making its way through the trees.

"Down now!" A massive, deafening explosion followed. All five of them were sent flying backwards from the shock wave that emitted from the blast. They hit the ground next to a large tree with Tali, brought to consciousness by the blast, landing on top of Shepard in a straddled position. The Spectre shook off his vertigo spell and stared up at the heavy breathing women on top of him.

"This isn't exactly the time or place Tali." smirked Shepard, trying to lighten the mood. Tali replied in between breaths.

"If I could...stand I'd...kick you...in the quad..." The shuttle hovered down on the charred battlefield littered with Geth parts as she finished. Garrus helped Shepard to his feet and the two carried Tali in between them. Kal came about next to Vel. Rolling on his side to check on her, he noticed she whimpering in pain.

"Vel?"

"I can't...I can't feel my legs!" she began to panic. Kal crawled on his knees over to her and proceeded to roll her over. "_Please don't be..."_ he thought but his fear was confirmed. A large piece of shrapnel was imbedded in her lower spine. She was paralyzed.

"H-How bad is it?" she whimpered.

"It...It's nothing we can't fix." He tried his best to hide the seriousness of her wound. "Come on we're getting out of here." Kal got up and used both arms to carry her; one under he legs with the other under her shoulders. They all boarded the shuttle a moment later.

During the ride up, Shepard took two power cells from the cache inside the shuttle and gave them to Tali and Vel. Tali had passed out from exhaustion after receiving the burst of fresh air. The battle really took a toll on her. Kal was doing his best to attend to Vel as they approached the Normandy in the crimson skies of Ilos. He knew he couldn't remove the shrapnel without risking further damage to her spine. Only Chakwas had the knowledge to operate on her.

The Shuttle entered the Normandy's cargo bay a moment later and the SR-2 flew out of the planets atmosphere.

"More Geth ships have dropped out of FTL. They are on an intercept course." chimed EDI. As if jinxing it, mass accelerator cannons began to ring out all around them. Escape was the only option.

"EDI, get us the hell outta here!" yelled Jeff frantically.

"Specify a destination Jeff."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he exclaimed. A second later he was thrown back in his chair as the ship jumped into FTL. Joker turned to EDI's projection with his arms thrown out and his eyes and mouth wide open as EDI explained.

"That was a joke..."


	34. Ch34: New Developments

The Spectre sat quietly at mess table with Kal on the opposite side. Both were silent and content with the the current events that had unfolded that day. Garrus had insisted on going back into the main-battery for his usual 'calibrations' to work off some stress. When arriving back on the Normandy, Shepard along with Kal had brought Tali and Vel into the med-bay. Tali was lain across a medical bed in the corner to let her body rest as it recovered from oxygen deprivation but Vel was not so lucky as to walk out of the previous battle with mere exhaustion.

Chakwas had demanded that the two of them wait outside in the mess while she worked tirelessly to remove the shrapnel that had lodged into Vel's fragile Quarian spine. Though they would have stayed, they knew even in this advanced technological time, spinal surgery was still a delicate procedure and not to be taken lightly; the Doctor needed to concentrate without the feeling of someone looking over her shoulder, and the room needed to be 110% clean of any bacteria that would threaten her immune system.

The Commander knew he was lucky. Tali had dodged a bullet being that they were able to get her a fresh power cell before she asphyxiated painfully inside her suit. Why did she have to be so selfless all the time. It was a trait he admired but not one he wanted to lose her over. She was in for a long, uncomfortable conversation with him when she awoke.

Kal too was reflecting on the day's events. So much had gone wrong. A simple reconnaissance mission turned suicidal so quickly without warning. The worst part of it was losing his entire squad to the synthetic scum he knew he shouldn't have trusted to begin with. Watching Moro'Zenia being engulfed in that infernal explosion still plagued his mind. It was like a never ending nightmare. They're all gone, all except for Vel'Lara. At least he was spared having to watch most of them die. If only he could see through the shuddered windows of the med-bay, just to know that their weren't any complications with her injury, so far...

Chakwas came stepping out of the med-bay after over an hour of surgery. She sealed the door behind her then removed her environmental suit's helmet and with her forearm, wiped the sweat from her forehead. Both Kal and Shepard got up from their seats at the table and walked over to her with expectant looks. Kal being the more concerned.

Holding her helmet under her left arm she said "I removed the shrapnel from her spinal column and repaired the damaged vertebrae using a cybernetic implant. The infection is relatively minor. She may be down with a fever for a couple of days but I don't see any cause for alarm." Turning to Kal she added. "You're welcome to see her, but do try not to wake her."

The doctor watched as Kal strode past her into the med-bay then once the door sealed, turned back to Shepard. "You're _fiance_ will be fine commander. She's quite exhausted from your field trip but should be awake in a few hours..."

"Thanks Doc, I know she's in good hands." he replied.

"I did manage to extract something very peculiar from the shrapnel lodged in your friend's vertebrae..." Chakwas held out her right hand to reveal a small object attached to what looked like a tiny circuit board.

"What is it?" he asked quizzically

"A Geth memory core, completely intact. I think Ms. Lara will be glad to know that her injury came with a benefit."

"I'm surprised you'd know what one looks like Doc."

"I removed quite a bit of Geth fragments from your body during our rodeo with Saren commander. Is it really that surprising?" said Chakwas with a smirk.

"When you put it that way I guess not." he replied taking the memory core in hand. "Thanks again Doc, I'll see what Tali can get out of it when she wakes up."

"Of course commander. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe there is a certain bottle of brandy with my name on it." Chakwas proceeded to walk into the kitchen as Shepard stared at the tiny component in his hand. He fiddled with it as he thought about what they might find in it. If the data on it is still intact, then maybe they'll be able to discover what Sovereign did to turn the Geth on them, and hopefully, find a way to reverse the effect if possible.

"Commander" said Mordin over the com-link causing Shepard to flinch a little. "Must speak with you in lab privately. Have made...intriguing progress with recovered device."

Kolyat held his head high with his hands clasped behind his back as he walked through the crowds on the 28th level of the Zakera ward on the Citadel. Having just earned his C-sec uniform and badge, he felt very proud of himself knowing his father would approve just as much. He chuckled to himself when he thought about the irony of the situation. Over the past three weeks he had gone from a wanna-be assassin to a rather striking officer of Citadel security. He couldn't argue with the feeling though. Saving lives rather than ending them was much better on the soul of a Drell; something taken very seriously in their culture.

He continued his patrol route, beginning a short journey down the steps to level 27. He had just passed a weapons shop with a Turian clerk behind the counter when Captain Bailey interrupted his chain of thought through his intercom.

"Hey son, we got what sounds like a domestic disturbance next door at the Cafe, figure I'd let you make your first bust with this one."

The young Drell smiled at his Captain's confidence in him and said "Sure thing, I'm just making my way down the stairs. Be over there in a moment." Kolyat quickened his pace down the steps and soon found himself on the 27th level. Just as Bailey said, there was a crowd gathered around the entrance of the Zakera Cafe. He could hear the sound of a man and women arguing in the distance. With hast he sprinted past the C-sec office and pushed his way through the crowd announcing his position as a C-sec officer as he did. When he made it through the dozens of spectators, he could see a Quarian girl backed against the wall inside the cafe with the Turian clerk furiously pointing at her with a butcher knife as he yelled in her face.

"You think I'm stupid! I saw you take it!"

The Quarian girl shook her head while raising one arm to gesture while she spoke. "I didn't do anything! You wouldn't be accusing me if I wasn't a Quarian!" she yelled back.

Taking a step forward, the Turian became more infuriated. "I'm not blind you little duct-rat! That paste packet was lying right on the counter until you walked by!" Kolyat saw this as his cue to end the quarrel before someone was injured, or worse. He walked over to the two offenders with his pistol drawn and aimed at the Turian.

"C-sec! Put the knife down sir!"

The Turian clerk turned to the Drell without complying to his demand. Instead he pursued his argument. "Don't point that gun at me, point it at her! I'm not doing shit till she pays for that packet of nutrient paste she stole!"

The Quarian girl tried to protest her innocence but her words were inaudible over Kolyat's yelling. "I said put the knife down! I won't tell you again sir!" The Turian groaned angrily as he slowly set the knife down on the floor. "Now what's this all about?" said Kolyat, addressing the Quarian girl, still fearfully hugging the wall.

"I heard this place had good food, so I came in here to look at the menu." she said while wringing her hands. "When I tried to leave, he grabbed me and started accusing me of stealing his nutrient paste."

"She's a damn liar!" The Turian retorted. "I saw her filthy Quarian hand snatch that packet with my own eyes!" The two pleaded their versions of the story back and forth before Kolyat decided to interject and solve the dispute peacefully.

"Look..." He walked over to the Turian and pulled out 20 credits and handed it to the angry clerk. "Whatever she took, that should cover it." The Turian, seeming satisfied, picked up his knife and walked back behind the counter.

"You're lucky Quarian, the next time I catch you stealing I'll slice that thief hand of yours right off!" he shouted as he went into the back-room of the cafe. Kolyat holstered his pistol and stepped over the Quarian girl who gazed at the floor.

"You alright miss?" he asked with concern as he offered his hand. The girl stood silent. Whispers in the crowd erupted which brought his attention to the nosy spectators. "Move along people, nothing interesting going on here." He said as he waved them off. The crowd dispersed and went back about their business as he turned back to the timid Quarian who was now staring up at him.

"I...Thanks." She quickly walked past him and rounded the corner before he caught up with her.

"Hey wait!" Kolyat gently grabbed her arm which caused her to stop and struggle a little to break free. While she tried to free her arm, something fell from her pack onto the floor. She halted in her struggle and glanced down at it as the Drell officer picked it up. The label was clear, Nutrient paste #173. Kolyat read it carefully then gave the girl a look like a parent catching their child in an act of mischief.

The girl began to stutter as she desperately tried to explain herself. "I...I—this isn't..."

"You really did steal-" He started to say before she broke down like a criminal in an interrogation room.

"I didn't want to but I haven't eaten in days! I was so hungry and it just hurts so bad and...Please officer don't arrest me. I swear it won't happen again." Kolyat unexpectedly handed her the packet while she awaited to be cuffed and thrown in a cell just like every other Quarian.

"What's your name miss?" he asked gingerly.

The girl looked into his eyes and noted that they weren't full of anger but serenity. He had the face of a kind person. This eased her distress and aloud her to answer more clearly. "It's...uh Lia'Vael nar Ulnay...sir."

"Miss Vael, would you mind if I bought you a drink?" his words took her by surprise. How often do you find a C-sec officer that wasn't prejudice, especially against her people. She hesitated to take his offer, but he did show her an act of kindness that only one in a million people would. Lia began to look around the ward nervously before answering.

"Um...I guess but I don't have any money to pay you back, and you've already done a lot for me."

"Don't worry about it." he said motioning toward the rapid transit terminal. "Consider it giving me something to spend my first paycheck on." he finished with a wide grin. Lia'Vael began to walk with him over to the terminal, feeling her heart race and her stomach flutter.

"O-Ok...Thank you."

Shepard walked into the tech-lab of the CIC briskly. Upon entering he noticed Mordin fiddling with something on the desk but couldn't see it behind the lab equipment on the desk.

"Shepard, please come in, have important results to share." said the Salarian, not bothering to turn away from his 'toys'. Shepard walked over to the desk while scratching the back of his neck.

"You said you made progress with the Prothean device?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "Do you know what it is?"

"Yes" replied the professor. He reached down and held up what looked like a glass test-tube filled with a green-colored liquid as he explained. "Item contains preserved quad-strand DNA" he took in a deep breath before finishing. "Prothean."

Shepard felt like a hammer had struck his heart. He took a step back and said "Prothean DNA? How does that help us exactly?" The professor proceeded around his desk and placed the tube inside a boxed shaped scanner.

"Sample is old, but technically is fresh, untouched. Still have breeding tank acquired from Grunt. Could theoretically grow live Prothean." replied Mordin as he turned to face the Spectre.

"Vigil said that device contained the Prothean's secrets. This must have been what it meant..." Shepard thought out loud.

"Indeed Shepard, DNA most likely has Prothean knowledge imprinted in genetic memory. Information on Reapers." Mordin inhaled deeply then finished. "Could benefit war effort..." Shepard began to dwell on the thought of actually growing a live Prothean, the first to ever walk the universe in over 50 millenia. This being could tell them everything they knew about the Reapers, possibly a way to defeat them. But he was also faced with the consequences of it. Was it really ethical. This Prothean would be alone in the galaxy, without purpose. Birthed as a lab-rat only to help them fight the Reapers. Then what? These conflicting thoughts overwhelmed him. It was a once in a life-time opportunity, but it needed consideration.

"If your right then this could be our only chance at beating the Reapers, but I need to think about this Mordin. I don't want to create a living being without fully knowing what I'm getting myself into." said the Spectre. "Keep running tests, let me know if it can actually be done." Shepard started to leave but was halted by Mordin half-way through the door.

"Must reach decision soon commander, do not know how much longer sample will last outside of original preservation chamber..." He continued out into the CIC after Mordin had finished. Now that he had taken the time to satisfy his curiosity, it was time to satisfy his concern. Tali, he should go check on her. Before that however he decided to check with Kelly to see if their were any new developments with the crew. The Yeoman turned to meet his gaze when she heard him step up behind her.

"Commander" she acknowledged then said "I had a rather...awkward conversation with that Aranya a while ago. There were no psych reports on record but from her behavior I gathered that she's an open sex-addict. She made several passes on me during our _interview. _I suggest you avoid her when possible."

"Appreciate the advice Kelly. Talk to you later." That said, he stepped into the elevator and pressed the controls for the crew deck.

Zaeed had been leaning against his wall in the starboard cargo room for a while now. He found himself deep in thought, mostly about Aranya suddenly coming back into his life after over a decade of separation. He still hated her, still wanted to shoot her deep down, but he couldn't help but wonder why she wanted Vido dead. She never gave him a reason for her motivation but seemed rather serious about it. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to the witch, but this needed to be cleared up. After all, if her reason wasn't good enough, then he would have an excuse to put her down. He found himself walking through the deck hallway over toward her room in port cargo. Angrily stomping with each step, he just wanted to get this over with. Aranya was laid flat out on her back across a series of crates with one leg propped over the other and reading a data-pad when he walked in. Strangely enough she was wearing casual Asari clothing rather than her Eclipse armor.

"I don't recall leaving the red light on, that hard to resist me?" she said not bothering to look at him.

"I want to talk to you, not play games." snarled the veteran bounty hunter. The Asari commando continued reading the data-pad while rocking her propped up leg back and forth.

"Life is a game sweaty. Don't hate the player, hate the game." she replied with a devious smirk. Zaeed, now fed up, stepped over to her and slapped the data-pad out of her hand.

"Why do you want Vido dead Aran? No bullshit this time!" he roared in her face. The two locked eyes furiously for a moment then, before he knew what happened, Aranya had him pinned against the floor by his shoulders.

"Sit..." she said sternly as she backed up off of him. Zaeed sat upright and watched as she took a seat on a crate over by the breeding tank. She shifted several times trying to get comfortable in her seat then began to share her story. "About 10 years ago I enlisted in the Blue suns. They usually don't take anyone besides Batarians, Turians, and Humans but they do make exceptions." She averted her gaze as she continued.

"Anyway, I rose through the ranks of the decade, eventually head of Santiago's personal guard." she chuckled. "Lost count of how many times that bastard made a pass on me. Next thing I know I'm accompanying him on some personal vendetta. A Salarian senator on Illium, guy forgot to pay his dues so we went after him..." She paused as as her composure began to fail her.

"Spill the beans sister." Interjected Zaeed.

"We cornered him in his home, Vido practically beat the sex-drive outta him for hours on end. Eventually he got tired, blew the guys brains out, no big deal. We started to leave when I...heard crying in the closet. Walked over there, opened the door, there's the guys Asari wife and daughter crying their eyes out, scared to death..." Zaeed's anger began to diminish as he was compelled to hear more. He stayed silent and let her continue.

"Vido comes up behind me a second later, hand's be a shotgun and tells me to shoot them. I took it but...I just couldn't do it. That...That motherfucker took the shotgun from me and blew them away right in front of me!" Aranya shot up from her crate and turned away so that he couldn't see the tears coming from her brown eyes. Zaeed to came to his feet, anger replaced by remorse, not knowing how to react to her tale.

"...I spent hours cleaning that little girl's blood off my armor. I told Vido I wanted out, then he tried to kill me. So I hooked up with the Eclipse 3 years ago and here I am. You said no bullshit, well there it is!"

All he could do was stand and rub the bridge of his nose as he watched her cry silently in the corner. He now wished he hadn't asked. He turned to leave the room and before the door sealed behind him he added. "We'll get the fucker..." and slowly walked back to his room.

Shepard sat in a chair next to Tali, lying on a medical bed, quietly and gently caressing her left hand; watching her sleep soundly. Vel was already wide awake and recovering from her surgery. Kal and her shared conversation through quiet whispers so as not to disturb Tali. She began to sir slightly; rolling over on her side and placing her left hand on her buttox.

"Shepard..." she said, mumbling in her sleep. "No...not...in front of..." she slowly took her left hand and brought it up to her breast. "No...not there...either..." she moaned before falling back into her deep sleep. Shepard held back a chuckle, instead grinning ear to ear at her comment. Moments passed as he admired her breath taking form. How strange that even with all the women he's been romantically involved with, even the human women during his time with the reds, nothing caught his eye more than this angelic figure before. It's a shame it had to be concealed behind layers of fabric and leather. Someone began poking him on the shoulder. He peered behind him and saw Kal wave him over to the far end of the med-bay. He nodded then leaned in and pulled a warm blanket over her then placed a small kiss on the side of her helmet, causing her to stir slightly and moan as he stood up and joined Kal over in the corner.

Whispering quietly, Kal said "With your permission commander, I'm anxious to report back to the Migrant Fleet. The Admirals are expecting an answer as to why the Geth are outside the veil."

"Not a problem Reegar, I'll have my pilot lay a course. There's something I should discuss personally with Shala anyway." he replied.

"Shepard?" He spun around to see Tali sitting up in bed, wiping her visor groggily. Leaving Kal with Vel, he stepped back over to her.

"Hey sleeping beauty, how you feeling?" he asked softly.

"Sleeping beauty?" she asks quizzically. "Is that a human expression?"

"It's an old human fairy tale." he explains. "A princess is cursed with endless sleep by an evil fairy and the only thing that can wake her, is the kiss of her one true love." Making sure the others aren't looking, Tali quickly removes her visor and gives him a brief kiss on the lops before resealing it back to her helmet. The two smile gingerly at each other, the romantic metaphor setting the mood.

"We're also going to the Migrant Fleet. I think we should discuss our engagement with Shala while were there." he adds. Tali's loving smile is instantly replaced by a frown as she thinks about the implications of exposing their relationship to her Shala.

"Oh Keelah..." was all she could say.

The Geth platform once known as Legion, now a dark entity known as Nazara, stared into the night sky of Ilos. His corrupted Geth minions marched all around him as they scavenged about the ruins. Geth frigates flew overhead as he contemplated over his next course of action. The Humans were still they're top priority, the pinnacle of organic evolution. He, and the rest of his kind wanted nothing more than to bask in their genetic brilliance. His kin will eventually invade, but if he can harvest the humans as well as Shepard before their arrival, they will meet far less resistance. A dropship landed a few meters in front of him as he concluded his chain of thought. A side hatch opened and a ramp extended before him. He slowly began to make his way up and into the ship. There is still so much to come, and he will be the vanguard of their destruction.


	35. Ch35: Good Samaritan

Sitting down at a table in the far corner of the Dark Star lounge, Lia'Vael looked around nervously with her leg twitching out of fear of her situation; the dark blue and cyan hues coupled with the soft, echoing music doing little to ease her tension. Asari, Human, and Turian patrons alike danced the night away at the back of lounge while others ordered drinks and sat at tables sharing casual conversation. She had already received sneers from a few of them on the way in which only made her feel more out of place. The C-sec Drell, known as Kolyat who introduced himself to her after showing her a random act of kindness, had offered to pay for the drinks while she waited for him at the table. A moment later she noticed him walking back over to the table with two drinks in hand. One being a sealed canister filled with dextro, Quarian-safe liquid.

"Sorry bout the wait." he said; taking his seat and passing her the canister-drink. "Bartender isn't exactly a fan of aliens." He took a quick swig from his glass before finishing with a smirk. "Too bad for him, I'm the one with the badge." Lia managed a fake smile beneath her visor to try to hide her nervousness. Though it was unnecessary since he wasn't even able to see her face anyway.

Kolyat took several sips from his glass as he scanned her body language trying to figure her out. Lia averted her eyes and just gazed at the canister in her hands as she gently fondled it in their awkward silence.

"Aren't you hungry?" He asked sincerely. "Nutrient paste lasts but it still has an expiration date." She finally brought her gaze up to him, keeping her voice low but still loud enough to be heard over the bass of the music.

"It's stolen food...I shouldn't eat it." she replied sadly.

"From what I remember it was still paid for. Go ahead and eat up." He finished with nod. Lia began to hesitantly reach into her belt's pouch and lifted the small packet out. She held it with both hands over the table; again fondling it as if she didn't know what to do with it.

"I think I owe you an explanation officer-" she said, dropping the packet on the table.

"Kolyat." he interrupted.

"Um Kolyat, I'm not a thief and...well I didn't mean to get myself into trouble..." she paused for a moment and cursed herself out of her nervous babbling. "Thank you."

"You looked like you needed help. I'd be abandoning my duties to not provide it." he replied. Another awkward silence fell upon the two with the music being the only sound besides the muffled conversations of the patrons. Kolyat took another swig of his drink before deciding to start one himself. "So tell me about yourself. What were you doing trying to steel from the cafe?"

"I came here on my pilgrimage about 3 months ago. I was thinking there would be a lot of maintenance work to repair the damage caused by the battle 2 years ago..." Her head sunk as she continued with depression clear in her voice.

"It wasn't at all what I expected. I knew people hated us, but I haven't been able to find a single place willing to hire me simply because of what I am. I ran out of credits by the second month. Since then I've been living off the Turian shelter a few levels down." Kolyat pushed his drink aside and clasped his hands together over the table as he continued to listen to her story.

"But the shelter closed up for good last week and finding food has been difficult." Lia took both hands and covered her visor in shame. "You must find this pretty ironic...People always refer to us as thieves and vagrants...Well, here I am. Living proof..."

Kolyat leaned back in his chair and said "All I see is an honest, young girl a little down on her luck."

"Yeah well...you're only the second person to think so..." replied Lia.

"Mind if I ask who the first was?" he inquired.

Leaned straightened her posture and looked at him while she spoke. "Funny story actually. 3 weeks ago I was walking to the used ship dealer on level 26 when this Volus bumped into me outside the Sirta foundation."

"What happened?"

"Well, I didn't think anything of it at first so I kept walking. Next thing I know, he runs up to me with a C-sec officer and starts shouting that I stole his credit chit."

"Just like that?" asked the Drell with a puzzled look.

"Yeah, the officer actually believed him to but his omni-tool didn't find it on me so he didn't have any evidence." she explained.

"I assume he let you off the hook?"

"No! He actually threatened to run me in for vagrancy when I told him I didn't have a permanent address. I even explained to him that I was on my pilgrimage but he completely ignored me!" Lia rested her hands on her thighs before continuing.

"That's when this human came over with a Turian and another Quarian asking what was going on." Pausing for a brief moment, Lia let out a barely audible chuckle which caught Kolyat's attention.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Oh, well the Volus started rambling on about how all Quarian's 'take anything not welded to the deck' and the human's Quarian friend blew up in his face. She even threatened to jack his olfactory sensors." A giggle followed. "I wish all off my people could be that assertive."

"So who was this human anyway?" asked Kolyat.

"I didn't know at the time. Anyway, he offered to look for the Volus' chit and ended up finding it being held at Saronis Applications. Bosh'tet Volus..." she mumbled. "When he gave to him, all he had to say was that I could have stolen it. Even the C-sec officer threatened me again with a charge of vagrancy. But before they could walk away, the human told them both just how absurd their accusations were." She paused as a smile grew on her face. "I remember the officer threatened to run him in for obstruction of justice. It was then that he said 'you think you're going to run in a Spectre?."

"He was a Spectre?" said Kolyat in surprise.

"Yeah it was right then that I recognized him from extranet videos before I left the fleet. It was THE Commander Shepard. The one who defeated Saren 2 years ago. Unbelievable right? Anyway, after that the officer and the Volus ran like a couple of frightened pyjaks."

Kolyat lowered his head and shook it in disbelief while grinning from ear to ear then said "That doesn't surprise me."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"I actually know him. My dad is serving on his crew." he answered with pride and a smile.

"Your father is working with a Spectre? Wow, you must be really proud of him mister..."

"Oh, pardon me." he said. "Sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier." The Drell reached across the table and offered his hand which Lia, hesitant at first, but accepted and shook gingerly. "Kolyat Krios."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Krios." replied Lia with a grin.

"You're welcome to call me Kolyat."

"Oh...of course. Kolyat." It was then that Kolyat was distracted by a scuffle between a Human and Krogan, who were pushing and shoving each other aggressively on the dance floor. He shook his head and turned back to Lia as he stood up.

"I'll be right back..." he sighed. Lia watched as he walked over and came in between the two arguing patrons who were pointing the finger at each other, making it hard for Kolyat to understand the circumstances of the quarrel.

Lia suddenly noticed the cold feeling of the canister in her hands for the first time and instantly felt her thirst return. She brought one of her three digit hands up to the side panel of her mask and slid back a tiny panel revealing a tube which she extended from her helmet and connected to the top of the canister. A soft beep inside her helmet confirmed that the seals had engaged and liquid was ready to be savored.

Lia began to gingerly suck on the straw like object that extended into her mouth inside her helmet and let the liquid flow on top of her tongue. It was then that she noticed a flashing text on her visor that read "warning, levo-proteins detected." Without a second thought Lia's eyes widened in shock as she spat the fluid out of her mouth onto her visor. She coughed repeatedly as the liquid dripped from the visor to the pit of her mask; masking sure she emptied every last drop from her mouth.

"Keelah! What in the!" in the corner of her vision she noticed the chuckling of the Turian bartender who quickly averted his eyes when he realized she was looking directly at him. Feeling the fury build within her, she got up from her seat and stomped her way over the counter to confront him. All the while, the bartender was cleaning a glass with a rag, trying to look busy. Lia slammed the canister down on the counter causing some of the liquid to splash out from the open top.

Bringing her hands to her hips she said angrily. "Excuse me, what the hell is this?" The Turian kept whipping down the glass without looking at her.

"That's your drink. Don't like it, don't drink it." he replied flatly.

"Drink? This is a levo-substance! You could have killed me!"

He finally placed the glass along with the rag under the counter so that he was looking straight at her with venomous eyes. "And the Hierarchy would call me a patriot. Lia gasped at his openness. She had been cursed, falsely accused, and threatened. But never had someone been so stern to openly admit trying to poison her.

"You Bosh'tet!" she shouted, pointing at him furiously. "You can't just kill me because of what I-" The bartender lunged forward like an angry cobra and griped her wrist tight.

"If I had the chance I'd walk into a room of unsuited Quarians and breathe my germs all over the room just to watch them suffer while they squeal for mercy." he hissed quietly. The patrons around the counter began to step away. Not even bothering to lend a hand to another beggar Quarian.

"Let me—ugh! You're hurting me!" Lia pleaded. The Turian leaned in closer to her face.

"Not yet I'm not." he said while squeezing her wrist.

"Is there a problem here?" The struggling Lia'Vael turned to see Kolyat with his arms crossed standing along side her. Upon noticing the C-sec armor, the bartender immediately released her.

"As a matter a fact there is." said the bartender. "This Quarian was harassing customers and scaring away my business."

"Really?" Kolyat replied sarcastically while arching his hairless brow. "It looked to me like she just wanted a dextro-safe drink. I think you should give her what she wants?"

"You calling me a liar _amphibian_? This Quarian bitch is who you should be interrogating!"

"Sir, I'm going to ask you to give the lady her drink, and apologize for calling her a bitch." replied the Drell sternly. The bartender leaned closer to him.

"You're actually standing up for this whore? Who the fuck do you think you-" Moving swiftly, Kolyat grabbed the back of the Turian's head and slammed his face down on the counter, using his other hand to hold him down by his neck. The surrounding patrons gasped at the scene. Drops of blue blood dripped from his mouth and he could tell one of his mandibles was broken.

"Everybody stay calm! This is a C-sec matter." he proceeded to lean in close to the Turian's face. "Apologize..."

"F-Fuck you!" garbled the Turian. Kolyat used one hand to grab his mandible and began pulling until the Turian yelped in pain.

"Apologize or this canister..." he said motioning toward the levo-protein drink. "Is going down your throat, and my gun is going up your ass."

"A-Alright alright!"

"Say it!"

"I'm s-s-sorry!"

"Better..." Kolyat then through the Turian back causing him to shatter the glass on the counter behind him as he fell. Kolyat then walked behind the counter and grabbed a canister full of dextro-protein liquid and handed it to Lia as he walked back around. "Come on." He led her outside the lounge a moment later.

"Thank you for your help back there. But I don't you think you were a little...excessive?" she said as they walked through the crowds on the 28th level of the Zakera ward.

"Bastard tried to poison you. What I did to him was an act of mercy compared to what my dad would have done." he replied.

"Listen..." Lia stopped him. "You've been very kind to me and you've gotten me out of trouble twice today. I just don't know how to repay you..." she said as her gaze sunk to floor. Kolyat tilted his head to the side and stood in thought for a moment before reaching a conclusion.

"Do you...have a place to stay?" he asked softly.

"Oh, I sometimes get a hab-capsule in 633 block, why?"

"Well, I just got a place in the 800 blocks. It's a two bedroom apartment if you don't mind sharing with a Drell." he finished with a slight smile. Lia was taken aback by his offer. He was too good to be true. She began to wonder if he had some sort of angle with all the kindness he had showed but she didn't let that stop her. Anything was better than those cramped hab-capsules.

Hesitating, she finally said. "I'd—that would be great! I can't thank you enough."

"No problem." he said now grinning. "After all, what would Shepard do?"

Things went back to being quite busy on the Normandy after the mission on Ilos. Kal'Reegar had volunteered to help in engineering after helping Vel'Lara into her assigned bunk in the crew quarters. Although her paralysis had been corrected via cybernetic implant, it still took time for a body's central nervous system to fully integrate with the artificial vertebrae; thus she still had trouble standing. He could at least take comfort in knowing that she was alive. It could have ended much worse.

Meanwhile, Shepard was on his way up to his cabin were Tali had gone to work quietly on accessing the Geth memory core. She hadn't eaten anything since awakening from her sleep in the med-bay, so he decided to bring her some food and force-feed her if need be. He insisted that she take more time to recover, but her flotilla instincts took over as usual saying that she was fine and needed to get to work. It was an argument he never won.

As soon as the elevator doors slid open he walked up to the cabin door which unlocked and hissed open silently. He instantly noticed Tali sitting in a chair and working on breaking through the Geth encryption using her omni-tool. She knew he had entered the room but didn't want to break her concentration on the delicate process of her hacking attempts.

Stepping up closer behind her he asked. "Tali?"

"Shh!" Shepard took a quick step back at her response and shrugged absentmindedly before laying down the packet of nutrient paste on the counter. He then leaned back against the wall behind him and crossed his arms while letting her work peacefully. Less than a minute later he finally heard a peep from her.

"Ahah!" she shouted triumphantly.

"You hacked the core?" he asked, hoping for a yes.

"Of course not bosh'tet. That was only the first layer of encryption!" she replied, her tone sounding slightly playful.

Shepard scratched the back of his neck. "How many layers are there?"

"Ten." she answered.

A frown was notable on his face. Nearly an hour of hacking just for that? There was a long awkward silence.

"I'm kidding bosh'tet." she teased, seeing him relax at her comment. "Now, every Geth's memory core records log files of any system changes such as run-time alterations and faulty individual programs..."

"So if Sovereign is controlling them using some kind of Reaper virus..." he interjected.

"We'll find it." Tali finished. "If that's the case, I may even be able to construct a counter-virus. But let's not jump to conclusions just yet. We still don't know what we're dealing with Shepard."

"Lets take a look..." Tali typed in a command in her omni-tool which caused a transparent screen to appear over her forearm with codes scrolling slowly across it. Shepard stepped closer and leaned over the back of the chair to examine what she was scanning through. Tali stopped the continuous scrolling on a certain bit of information that caught her eye.

"There doesn't seem to be any major alterations. But there is a log here showing that this Geth picked up some kind of signal that instantaneously changed it's directive."

"Changed to what?" he asked puzzled. Tali's answer was a narrowing of her eyes that suggested he asked a stupid question.

"Right...kill organics..." he said shaking his head. "Is there anyway to reverse the process?"

"Maybe, it would be easier if the process were more subtle. I'll collaborate with Mordin on this. There may be a way." Still looking at her omni-tool, Tali absentmindedly stands up and heads for the cabin door only to be stopped by Shepard standing in her path.

"Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going?" he waved the packet of paste in front of her visor. She slapped it away.

"I think I'd rather starve than eat any more of that infernal slop." she replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Shepard chuckled. "Don't make me force-feed a Quarian." Tali tried to slip past him and quickly became annoyed with his body continually blocking her exit.

"Shepard, please move your human buttox before I..." Shepard began to laugh.

"Make me." he said with a sly smirk. Tali halted in her struggle and narrowed her eyes as she suddenly pounced on him, causing him to fall to the floor while she straddled on top of him. Shepard looked up into her visor to see her narrowed eyes widen slowly as she quietly began to laugh which quickly grew louder causing him to do the same. The both laid there for a moment just admiring the humor of the situation. There wasn't much time to 'play' on the Normandy; not with some suicidal mission always dragging them through the gates of hell. It was nice to day dream once in a while.

The two were distracted by the hissing of the cabin door opening and both looked to see Kal'Reegar standing in the doorway.

"I interrupting something?" The couple shared a brief glance before Tali rolled off of Shepard and they both quickly stood up and brushed themselves off in embarrassment.

"Apologies Shepard." said Kal formally. "If it's alright with you I'd like to have a word with Tali...in private..."


	36. Ch36: Reprieve

The Cerberus leader stands firmly with a cigarette in hand gazing out into the red hues of the blazing sun that his station overlooks. The room was befallen by its usual darkness with no other soul in his presence. The only sound in the isolated room was the faint sizzling of the cigarette in his hand.

Relations with the human Spectre known as Shepard had quickly circled the drain ever since the defeat of the Collectors and the destruction of their base. How could this have happened. Everything unfolded exactly as he had planned from the beginning. The Lazarus project was supposed to resurrect the one man that would ensure humanity's dominance in the galaxy. Instead he let his idealism thwart the Illusive man's grand design. Now he was desperate. After Sovereigns release, the Spectre permanently erased all contact with him. He had no intelligence as to his whereabouts or his current mission. Without Shepard's support, he needed a new foothold.

The holographic projector flickered to life at the far end of the room and revealed the image of a man in an expensive white suit; his face being hidden in the shadows of the room he was broadcasting from.

Taking a drag from his cigarette the Illusive man says "Things are changing more drastically than I could have anticipated."

"You know it's not safe to contact me." replies the man in the image projection. "I've set myself up quite well here and I'm compromising it just by speaking to you."

"Set yourself up?" retorts the Illusive man. "Surely you haven't forgotten that's it's only because of me that you stand with your current position and title, or am I in need of reminding you?"

"...No." The man replies like a scolded child. "Of course not..."

"Good. Then now that we are finished with our pleasantries, I'd like to discuss a certain matter of importance with you."

"I do hope this call is worth the delicate amount time to explain it." the faceless figure says.

"Patients was never your strong suit. Very well..." Turning around, the Illusive man walks toward the projection of the unknown man and begins to explain. "As you probably already know, Shepard has refused any further contact with myself and all of Cerberus for that matter..." He takes another drag from his cigarette.

"Shepard is still our only hope against the Reaper invasion, but no longer a player in humanity's rightful future. Therefor I've taken the liberty to devise a "Plan B" if you will..."

"I'm listening..." says the elusive figure.

"My original plan was for you to be humanity's first councilor. But things didn't exactly unfold as I predicted as I'm sure you remember..."

"Yes, Shepard recommended Anderson for the position."

"That's what this call is all about. Without Shepard's support for Cerberus, we are now in need of that political power. But to do that, Councilor Anderson must die."

There is a brief pause as the Illusive man takes his seat and puts our his cigarette in the ashtray beside his chair.

"That's an awfully risky proposition. And how do we even know that the council will nominate me to take his place should he be found deceased?"

"There are no others with as much knowledge of both human and intergalactic politics such as yourself. I'm perfectly confident they will fall back on you to continue to represent the interests of all humans." replies the Illusive man. "I figured you'd be more than happy to hear this."

"Interesting..." says the shadowy figure. "What do you need me to do in the meantime?"

"What you have been doing for decades Ambassador, I'll take care of the rest. An agent will contact you soon with the details. Till then, remain under your ruse."

Tali noticeably stiffened at Kal's request to speak with her privately. She had a pretty good idea about what it was he wanted to talk to her about. Shepard turned and looked down at her hands nervously rubbing together. He then brought his gaze up to her visor. After a moment she looked up at him and nodded hesitantly; letting him know that she could handle herself. Being reassured, Shepard turned to Kal.

"Of course Kal." He turned back to Tali who now stared at the floor. "Well then...I'll leave you two alone to catch up..." he then moved past Kal, giving one last look at his nervous fiance, then walked into the elevator.

Kal began pacing around Tali as soon as the door shut with his hands clasped behind his back and his head held high. Tali, finding the courage to speak, kept her gaze on the floor as she felt him walk beside her.

"Kal, I had to-"

"You didn't have to do anything!" Kal shouted. "Dammit, 2 more minutes of oxygen deprivation and you wouldn't be here!" Tali looked up to see Kal pointing angrily at her.

Kal sighed; dropping his head in shame. He then turned around and took a few steps away from her with his hands on his hips.

"Kal, I had to do it or we all would have-" Tali halted in her speech as Kal proceeded to furiously sweep the items off Shepard's desk.

"That's not what I'm angry about!" yelled Kal. Tali recoiled at his sudden outburst and raised her hands defensively as he stomped back over to her.

"In the two years I've served under you, all you've done is try to sacrifice yourself for everyone around you! Do you really think your life is that worthless! God dammit, do you even care!" Kal turned around once again and stood in silence as Tali took in his harsh words.

"Being selfless doesn't mean you have to get yourself killed at ever chance you get ma'am..."

"Kal...I..."

"Rael'Zorah..." Tali gasped at the mention of her father's name.

"Before Haestrom, your father came to me. He was different...sincere I guess..." Kal turned back to her and continued. "He made me promise that no matter what happened to him, or on Haestrom, that I'd make sure you were safe. That with every breath of recycled oxygen I breathed, I'd use it to protect you..."

Tali found herself at a loss for words. She had secretly hated her father for so long. He was always so confined to his duties that he never made time for his daughter. He wasn't even there when her mother's body was given to the void. She felt that he hated her, that she would never be good enough to earn to his love, to earn his recognition, to earn the sight of his face...

Tali began to tear up at this new realization. "He...he told you that?" she said, her voice quivering with emotion.

"I know for a fact he didn't just mean Haestrom...he wanted me to keep you safe as long as I live. And Keelah, I intend to keep that promise ma'am. But I can't do that if your always going to throw yourself in front of a missile for someone!"

"I'm sorry..." she said as the tears dripped into the pit of her mask.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to your dead father; the man that wanted the best of everything for you."

Tali yelled through her tears. "My father never gave me anything but a fleet of dying people who so quickly turned on me and tried to have me exiled with the excuse of the good of the fleet!"

Kal placed a hand on her shoulder which only made her tremble. "Don't take this the wrong way ma'am, but your father would have gladly let all 17 million of us die if it meant saving you." Tali began to sob silently as he continued.

"Rael'Zorah loved you more than he ever did the fleet. He didn't know how to show it, but he tried his best...

"Get out..." whispered Tali, on the brink of breaking down. Kal slowly walked towards the door in compliance; realizing that he came on rather strong. Before exiting he said one last thing.

"I don't know how long you and Shepard have been involved. But I think you owe him an apology as well. You don't have to forgive your father, but at least forgive yourself." He left the room and headed for the elevator upon finishing; leaving Tali sobbing alone on her knees.

Shepard sat by himself at the mess hall table going through the logs over their last mission on his datapad. Taking a short break he looked around the room. Through the med-bay window he could see Dr. Chakwas at her terminal; probably freshening up Quarian biology so as to better help with the recovering Vel'Lara. Thane, Samara, and Aranya sat at the other table with a few other crew members sharing casual conversation. He took note that Zaeed wasn't among them. Either he wasn't hungry or just plain avoiding the Asari commando which he couldn't blame him for.

His thoughts drifted to Kal's unexpected request. It wasn't like the hardened marine to ask for privacy when talking to another individual. Usually he was so open and formal. He wondered what they were talking about, or whether he should pry her for answers later. Maybe it was nothing to worry about. Probably just Quarian talk. It wasn't often that Quarians had any real privacy to chat anyway with how crowded the Migrant fleet was.

The taping of footsteps to his left startled him. He had been so lost in his train of thought that he didn't notice Miranda take her seat across from him with a food tray of her own.

"Commander, I'd like to speak with you if you have a few moments."

"Is it something important?" he asked

"It concerns our new crew member, the one you acquired on our last mission." 

"You mean Aranya?"

"Pardon me commander, I guess what I should have said was possible crew member."

"The Prothean DNA..." he said raising a brow.

"I know it isn't ethical to create a sentient life-form only to take advantage of it. But I think I speak for the whole crew when I say we need what it knows."

"I'm not making any decisions right away. We even know if it will survive the process."

"I understand commander and I trust your judgment. But think about this Shepard." She said straightening her posture. "You said so yourself the Prothean AI told you that their greatest secrets were contained in what you found. They must have intended for the next civilization to find it and use it to fight the Reapers. Can we really afford to let that go to waste?"

"I appreciate your opinion Miranda. But I still need to think this through. Otherwise I'd be no better than Saren when he cloned an army of Krogan just to die fighting."

"I'll standby whatever decision you make commander. One more thing, with the Hammerhead destroyed, we're going to need another. The Illusive man might be able to-"

"Miranda, I wouldn't ask for his hand if I were dangling from a cliff." he interrupted.

"Alright, it's that's how you feel, then I suppose its up to you to find us another all-terrain combat vehicle." Miranda sat up and then walked over to the other table to socialize with the rest of the crew.

"ETA to Migrant Fleet 1 hour commander. Might wanna let them know we're coming so they don't blow a hole straight through the Cerberus logo on the Normandy." said Jeff over the intercom.

"I'll make sure they go easy on us Joker."

"Aye aye."

"EDI?"

"Yes Shepard."

"Have you relayed the mission report to the council?"

"Yes. I included your request to send patrol ships to the relays surrounding Geth space as well."

"I hope you left out the part about the Prothean DNA."

"Of course Shepard."

"Good work. I just hope they're feeling generous."

Tali's three-digit hand waved across the wall sensor and the instantly heated water flowed from the shower nozzle. Her frail, petite form recoiled at first before quickly becoming accustomed to the steaming water that beat down against the top of her uncovered head; feeling every sensitive pour in her body being cleansed. Sighing, she grabbed the bar of soap and began glazing each scar that covered her skin. Each one gained over the past 2 years serving the fleet, each one carried with it a memory without a happy ending. Her life had always been for the fleet. Just another mission, usually successful but without any reward or recognition. Not even from her father. Would it have been so hard to at least send a private message letting her know that he was glad she was safe? That he loved her? After all the pain and suffering she endured the only thing he could do was ask her fellow soldier to be her shield? To not even have the courage to tell her himself?

Tali found herself caressing the scar on her left arm. The one she received while liberating the Alarei. The wound took her to a place she wished she could forget. One of the worst days of her short life. Rael'Zorah openly expressed an act of love for his daughter, something she waited so long for. But in the end he even managed to twist that. Hundreds of Quarian scientists dead, his daughter accused of treason, and an a small army of Geth left behind for her to clean up. There was nothing genuine left for her. Not from him, not from the fleet.

Even amongst all that chaos though, there was always Shepard. The one person in her life that kept her going. That gave her meaning, a greater purpose than being a simple engineer. How quickly it seemed he had come in to her world and changed it forever. This human that trusted her enough to give her complete access upon coming aboard the Normandy SR-1, even giving her a copy of Geth evolutionary data. That was the day she knew he was unique. Not just as a person, but in her perspective, in her heart. He changed her outlook on the galaxy. Died, and rose from the dead to come back for her; to tell her everything he wished he had before his untimely death. To share his mind, body, and soul with her.

Her hatred for her father was strong, but that didn't keep the lessons he had taught her from controlling her actions. Complete selflessness, always willing to take a bullet for her crew. Kal was right. His words weren't meant to make her forgive her father, but to motivate her to live for those around her. She owed him an apology. More importantly she owed one to Shepard. It must be hard enough for him to love a woman that cannot share the feel of her skin without a supplement of antibiotics; a woman that is willing to throw away her life without hesitation to save those around her. He was never the kind to show his worries and anxieties openly. But even with his never faltering positive attitude, she was sure that under that barrier of muscle and cybernetic enhancements, there was a man deeply afraid for the loss of his fiance. Fiance...she liked that human word. Soon it would be wife, life-mate. She was ready to change and give up everything to be with him. But to have this future she so desperately longed for, they first had to eliminate an enemy that threatened to consume every hope she, and the galaxy alike had of one.

She waved her hand across the sensor and shut off the shower nozzle. Stepping out, she wrapped her naked form in a towel and grabbed the pregnancy testing device she had set down next to the sink. Negative it read, still nothing. Maybe Mordin's gene therapy drug wasn't working. Could it be that life was also denying her a child to have with the man she wanted for her husband? Whether it was or not, she wouldn't give up. There's a way around anything. Shepard had taught her that from his impossible achievements.

"Miss Zorah." EDI suddenly chimed in startling Tali. "We are approaching the Migrant Fleet. Your presence is required in the helm."

"Tell Shepard I'll be right down." Tossing the towel aside, leaving herself still somewhat damp, she walked over to the discarded portions of her suit and began dressing herself.

"Keelah." she muttered. "Shala is going to kill him..."


	37. Ch37: Home Sweet Home

The Normandy rapidly decelerated coming through the mass relay in the Haskins system of the Titan nebula. Orbiting the system's only planet Capek, the same planet where Shepard had disabled a faulty mech factory assembly line, was a smoke screen of ships that had withstood the perils of many generations since the Geth uprising. A massive flotilla of ships that every Quarian called home; the Migrant Fleet.

The glittering metal of the distant vessels grew larger as the Normandy approached. Shepard as well as Kal'Reegar and Vel'Lara waited eagerly for Tali to join them in the helm. The Spectre had almost used his commlink to call her when he turned to see her walk up beside him and greet him with a nod. He did the same and noticed her turn to briefly glance at Kal before lowering her head shamefully. Kal had already looked back out of the front viewer before Shepard could read the emotion in his eyes but he knew there was tension between the two nonetheless.

He wondered what had taken place during their private conversation. He didn't think anything of it at first. He trusted Kal not only because Tali did, but because of how he stood up for her during her trial. That was all he needed to do to earn his respect. Still, something was eating its way into her head. He'd been with her long enough to know every message that each movement of her body told. He made a mental note reminding himself to confront her later. It was by this time that they were skimming the borders of the fleet and a Quarian operator hailed them.

"Unidentified Cerberus vessel, state your business or we will open fire." Tali rolled her eyes. You'd think they would remember the Normandy, the only ship in its class. Fleet security must have been elevated since their last visit. Dammit Shepard, why hasn't he painted over that dreaded insignia yet?

"This is Tali'Zorah vas Normandy nar Rayya," vas Normandy, it still felt wonderful to say it. After the trial she had stood in front of the mirror in her clean-room and repeated it for hours on end just to remind herself that it was true, "requesting permission to dock with the Neema."

There was a brief pause while the operator received the message. "Transmit verification code." Replied the male operator. Now it was her turn to speak the verse she had practiced since childhood, even more so before departing on her pilgrimage two years ago.

"After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began."

"Verified. Welcome home Tali'Zorah." the operator confirmed.

"Be advised, our ship requires a quarantine team for decontamination." she warned.

"Understood. Approach docking cradle thirteen." Several minutes past as Joker gently flew the Normandy alongside the Neema. A light lurch confirmed the ships secured docking a moment later and the four all stepped into the airlock and let the decontamination cycle activate. The doors slid open and they found themselves in the west wing of the ship Tali had once hailed from. A team of four Quarian marines met them inside. Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema began pushing his way past the guards eager to greet them.

"Kal'Reegar, I expected your report 12 hours ago. What happened? Where's the rest of your squad and why are you here with Captain Shepard?"

Stepping forward Reegar said, "I'm sorry sir, we were compromised. Geth killed most of my squad. If it wasn't for Shepard showing up we'd have all been killed."

"Damn..." Han cursed under his breath. "I'm sorry to hear that Reegar. At least the ancestors spared us two of the Neema's children." Turning to Shepard he added. "Thank you for your assistance Captain."

"You're welcome Admiral." replied Shepard. "I just wish I could have been there sooner."

"Regardless, you did what you could. You're welcome to stay aboard as long as you like. I'll have quarters prepared for your stay."

"That's not necessary Admiral. I'd rather not have my crew strain your supplies. We'll use the Normandy."

"My offer stands should you reconsider." Han turned then turned to Kal. "I'd like to debrief you and your squad mate in my office."

"Yes sir." Kal acknowledged with a salute. He and Vel then followed behind Han as he lead them to his quarters leaving Shepard and Tali alone.

Knowing it was going to be a while before he heard from Kal again he decided to use this free time for some personal business. "Tali, should we send a message to Shala?"

"Oh yes, o-of course." She replied nervously which he easily picked up on.

"You ok? You've been pretty edgy about talking to her."

"You must understand Shepard, Shala has been like a second mother to me. After she died my father put more attention to the fleet and I would be left in her care during that time. She's very protective of me and I'm afraid her reaction to...us won't be very pleasant."

Shepard placed one hand on each shoulder to ease her discomfort and said. "Hey, I survived Liara's mother didn't I? This won't be my first girlfriend-mom meeting."

"Except that we are telling her not just about our relationship, but our engagement!" She exclaimed.

"Trust me, I can take whatever she throws at me." He said with a wide grin.

Tali sighed in defeat and summoned her omni-tool to relay a message to the Tonbay; the vessel the one she called her auntie served on. She subconsciously hoped she had miss-typed the destination for the message...

Shala'Raan vas Tonbay was exhausted. She had been awake for nearly 20 straight hours meeting with captains from other ships in the Flotilla and discussing plans for the resources salvaged from the abandoned mech facility down on Capek, as well as their Iridium mining operation. She was ready to pass out.

The Tonbay's Requisitions officer tried to keep up with her as she stormed down the corridors of the Tonbay to her personal quarters. The young girl carried a datapad in hand while constantly chattering about requested supplies for the fleets ships. Shala was to say the least, annoyed; trying to ignore her the entire way to her room.

"And the Tillus is requesting a surplus of food supplies."

"Yes yes, I'll see that it is done." Raan replied looking straight ahead.

"Also the Oronus has placed a requisition order for a new artificial gravity generator..." By this time they had reached the door for Shala's quarters. Opening the door quickly while her assistant continued to chat her ears off, Shala angrily slammed the door behind her. She absentmindedly ran her hands over her visor as if trying to rub the exhaustion from her eyes. She stumbled over to her cot and let herself fall flat across it; her aged body needed the rest. As she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep, her omni-tool beeped loudly; startling her and causing her to fall off her cot onto the hard metal floor.

"Bosh'tet!" she mumbled as she picked herself up and sat back down on the cot. Quickly summoning the holographic interface, she noticed 1 new message. She opened it and was surprised to see who it was from. Tali had returned with Shepard and requested that she come to Neema to discuss something of importance.

"Keelah!" She sat up and walked over to the communicator on the wall. Pressing it she said. "Nila, prepare a shuttle. I must depart for the Neema immediately."

Kolyat awoke to the sound of his beeping omni-tool. It took him a moment to realize where the sound was coming from as his consciousness took focus and he sat up in bed. He groaned angrily, wanting to smash the annoying device but summoned restraint as he sighed and activated it. Running his hand across his eyes he asked in an irritated tone.

"Yeah, what is it?"

Captain Bailey answered with sense of irritation matching his own. "Kolyat, what the hell where you thinking?"

The Drells eyes shot wide open before he replied with, "Um, I'm not sure I follow sir."

Bailey sighed. "I could drink 3 glasses of ryncol and still remember bashing a Turian's face in."

Kolyat hesitated to answer as he recalled yesterday's events. Slightly stammering he said, "Sir...that bartender tried to poison a Quarian women with a drink for levo-protein species. Bastard deserved what I did to him!"

"I believe you, but look son." Bailey said trying his best to maintain a soft spoken voice. "I'm no fan of bigots either. But when a citizen runs up in my precinct claiming one of my officers broke his jaw without proper cause, I'm the one who gets shit on by the higher ups."

Kolyat shook his head and cursed to himself quietly. "I understand Captain, it will not happen again..."

"I sure hope not kid. But that's only part of the reason I interrupted your beauty sleep."

Kolyat stood up from the bed and walked over to the window looking out onto the vast complex of the Citadel as he listened further. "Sir?"

"Councilor Anderson is gonna be meeting with a Krogan bigshot today. Diplomatic stuff. As usual we'll be giving him a C-sec escort. I want you on that escort. So grab your gear and get over to the Presidium."

Kolyat felt thrilled to be given such an honor. Finally a day away from simple pick-pockets and looters. "Yes sir, I'm already on my way!"

The young Drell walked over to his locker and typed in the desired code. With a quiet click, it opened revealing his C-sec uniform perfectly hung up on a rack along with his pistol and holster He grabbed it all from the rack and began dressing himself in the blue and black striped uniform, making sure everything was neatly worn. He hooked his holster onto his belt and slid his pistol into it then with great pride, looked at the C-sec insignia stitched into his sleeve.

His life took a turn for the better so quickly. From performing mercenary work to bringing the very people he used to work for to justice. It was nice to have something to actually be proud of, to accomplish, to earn respect from his father. Only a few weeks ago he resented the man, even wished he would die a gruesome, painful death. He felt he had been thrown away when Thane left him alone with his mother. He wasn't even there for her funeral, for all the years he spent alone afterwards. For the longest time he felt it was his fault. That he was the reason he left. Maybe he wasn't good enough of a son. Eventually the longing grew into hate that nearly dragged him down a path from wens there would be no return.

He was wrong. Just when he was so sure about his decision to carry out an assassination on a council senator, the last person he expected to stop him appeared to him. Were it not for this realization he would have pulled the trigger a lot sooner. But he wanted him to see just how much pain he had put him through. This kill would be his way of rebelling against his father for the last time. But thing didn't turn out as he had predicted. Shepard stopped him; convinced him to hear his father out. At that moment he knew the man he hated was not the kind of father he thought he was. He wanted to make up for all the time he lost with his only son. He wasn't sure he wanted that, but he knew he needed it.

Even after all that chaos, this was the outcome. He was a changed young man. No more injustice, only the exact opposite. He wondered if his father had received the message he sent, telling him of his promotion. He didn't know where he was with the Normandy constantly traversing the clusters of the galaxy. He hoped he would reply to him soon and receive some long desired recognition. Just to hear or read his words before his disease took him. That was the worst part of just now reuniting with his father, the fact that he only had a year to spend with him before the last of his family was lost.

Glancing at the time on his omni-tool he dismissed himself from the thoughts and stepped through his open door into the living room of his apartment. Hearing noise, he looked over to his couch and noticed the young Lia'Vael sitting comfortably and watching the Citadel news net on his vid screen.

"You're up early. You sleep well?" he asked sincerely.

Lia jumped slightly from his voice and turned to him before shooting up from her seat. She nervously held her hands in her lap as she spoke. "Oh! I-I didn't wake you did I? I hope you don't mind, I couldn't sleep and I was bored so I-"

"Are you always this nervous? Or is it because I'm with C-sec?" he asked interrupting her nervous chatter.

Lia lightly hit her visor with her hand, feeling stupid for her rambling. Dammit he shows you this much hospitality and you can even converse with him in a straight manner? "Uh sorry. I guess I'm not used to having privileges without some sort of catch."

Chuckling while walking closer he said. "You don't need my permission to watch a vid. And no, you didn't wake me. I have my captain to thank for that."

"I see..." For a while the two stared into each others eyes absentmindedly from a distance. She couldn't help but admire how perfectly her reflection showed in his black orbs. It was like looking into a mirror. Kolyat too felt entranced by her white pearls as if being pulled into a black hole. It wasn't until the reporter on the vid screen started to speak that they were pulled out of their hypnotized state.

"In other news, the respected human Councilor, David Anderson, is scheduled to hold a meeting with a Krogan delegate claiming to be the leader of his race. The informal meeting will take place near the Krogan memorial statue on the Presidium later today. Reporting live this is Emily Wong, Citadel news net."

Turning back to each other, Kolyat scratched the back of his neck while Lia dropped her head in embarrassment. An awkward silence followed while both tried to think of a way to start up a conversation. 

Kolyat, finally gaining the courage to speak, said. "Well um...I should report to the precinct. I'm supposed to be part of Councilor's Anderson's escort today...There's uh...a chit with 80 credits on it on the kitchen counter if you need to buy yourself food or anything..."

"Alright...well thank you..." she replied still averting her gaze.

"OK, I'll see you later then?" he said as he walked over to the door.

"Um yeah, I'll be here." she replied. Just as Kolyat began to walk out the door Lia spoke up. "Good luck!" he smiled as the door closed behind him and began looking around for the nearest rapid transit terminal.

Still inside the apartment, Lia plopped back down on the couch with her head leaned back and one hand over her visor. A familiar sensation plagued her. One that she recognized as a young woman's crush. She'd had plenty back on the Ulnay during her younger years. But those were with Quarian men. But a Drell? They aren't anything like Quarian men. This was so strange.

She shook her head as she thought about her foolishness. She's supposed to be attracted to the slim build and silver eyes of a Quarian man. Not the broad shoulders and large biceps of this tall, firm bodied Drell. With his tight abs and dark eyes and...Keelah...

Kal'Reegar stood firmly as he explained to Admiral Gerrel, sitting behind his desk, the details of the mission. The Geth ambush, Sovereigns control, Shepard's assistance. And worst of all the deaths of his squad.

"I knew those rusted cyclops were up to something." Han said with his hands clasped together over his desk. "I'm just sorry it cost you the lives of your men Reegar."

"As am I sir." replied Kal.

Standing up and walking over to the window Han said. "The fleet has lost more of its children today. I'll inform their families and make sure they all receive a proper memorial."

Lifting his head Kal stiffened and requested. "Sir, permission to inform their families in person."

"That's not necessary Reegar. You've been through enough. You should get some rest." Han dejected.

"With respect sir, it was my responsibility as squad leader to ensure the safety of each and everyone of them." Han walked back to his desk while Kal added. "I need to do this, sir."

"Permission granted. I can someone accompany you should you desire."

"Not necessary sir. This is something I need to do alone..." Kal left the office leaving Han to his thoughts. Six more added to the millions that have sacrificed themselves for the fleet over the course of 300 years. And it was getting them no where. The only progress they have ever made was with the Geth data recovered by Tali'Zorah during her pilgrimage. Fitting that Rael's daughter would be the one to finally give them hope a spark of hope to cling onto. It still didn't make it any easier with him being the one that had to order these soldiers to their deaths. Mission after mission Kal had always blamed himself. But Han knew that if anyone should be blamed for the mourning the families of these soldiers endured, it was him.

Shepard and Tali walked into the small quarters Han had assigned to them carrying small bags of personal items for their stay aboard the Neema. Shepard immediately began unpacking as he explored the room. Two lockers, a single bathroom, and a bed for...'recreational' activities.

Tali found herself disappointed with the rusted metal interior of the room. It wasn't as bad as those of other ships such as the Rayya, but it still was nothing like their cabin on the Normandy. It was at least 1/3 the size of it and half as fancy. At the bed was nice.

"I never thought I'd set foot in one of these abysmal rooms again." She said, disappointed by their decision to actually take Han's offer. But denying his hospitality would have been some what of an insult she thought.

"Oh?" said Shepard as he walked over to her with a smile that warmed her heart. "Is the soon to be Mrs. displeased with her accommodations?"

Tali blushed at the word Mrs. To be the life-mate of this man was something nothing short of a real-life fairytale to her. Bending one foot back and placing her hand on her hip she seductive said. "That depends on what other 'accommodations' my man can provide for me..."

Shepard placed his hands on her hips and brought his face close to her visor so that he could make out her expression. "And what might those be Miss Shepard?" He said with a grin.

Tali giggled and replied, "I'm not a Shepard yet...John..."

Shepard felt himself grin even wider as he raised his brows. "Oh? Finally breaking at least one bad habit I see."

"Do you approve...John?" She said with flirtatious emphasis on his first name.

"Only if I see those luscious lips when you say it." he replied. Tali giggled as she guided him to the seals on her visor. Something he still needed practice on. He felt the latches disengage and carefully pulled the visor from her helmet to be greeted with her silver eyes and adorable smile.

"John..." she said grinning widely. She surprised him as she lunged forward and locked lips with him. Shepard returned her affection with equal passion and led his hands to her butt as he lifted her off the ground. Tali wrapped her legs tightly around him as he walked over to the bed while still deep into the kiss. Arriving at the foot of the bed, he leaned forward and let her lie on her back across the bed; not bothering to take a breather from their exchange of love for one another.

Shala walked down a narrow corridor looking for number of the room Han'Gerrel had given to her. She was terribly excited to see her 'adopted' daughter again. She was so relieved when Tali sent her a message weeks earlier letting her know she had survived their mission through the Omega 4 relay. Once again she had saved the galaxy. The only Quarian to ever accomplish such an act not just once but twice. She couldn't wait to congratulate her, hold her in her arms and...

She was taken back to reality when she found the room she was looking for. She stretched her arm out and was about to knock but decided she would rather just open the door and surprise her. She typed in the door code and pressed the confirm key. It opened quickly with a quiet hiss and Shala walked in.

"Tali'Zorah!" She yelled happily. "Where are-" Shala felt her heart stop when she noticed Shepard bending over the foot of the bed with a pair of Quarian legs wrapped in a familiar purple cloth wrapped around him.

Quickly breaking from their kiss, Shepard looked over his shoulder at Admiral Raan with Tali looking past him as well. Both in complete shock. There was a long silence as each stood motionless. Shala began to clinch her fists slowly and furiously. She finally gathered the resolve to speak or as Shepard would describe it, hiss.

"You...!"


	38. Ch38: Overcome

Shala's heart began to race with uncontainable rage. To see Tali being violated by the man she trusted to keep her safe brought an overwhelming wave of emotion. Seconds seemed like hours as her mind strained to comprehend the reality of the situation. Feeling her gloved fingers begin to dig into her palms, she acted on the first thing her motherly instincts told her do.

Shepard spun around rapidly while Tali quickly slipped her legs off of him and sat down on the foot of the bed behind him covering her face with both hands. They both felt like children being caught red handed in a mischievous deed. Tali began to mumble something to herself in Khelish that his sub dermal implants failed to translate while quickly reaching for, and reattaching her visor. Shepard looked to see her shaking her head fearfully then to Shala who was storming towards him.

"Raan please! Let me-" Shala threw her fist directly into his jaw sending him to the floor with a few droplets of blood flying from his busted lip. Tali screamed as she watched him stumble to the floor with Shala leaning over him and wailing on his face.

It was then that Shala felt herself being tackled off of him. Hitting the wall, she slowly regained footing and to her surprise found Tali standing in front of her with her eyes narrowed into a glare. "Move aside child! I'll rip his filthy human testicles off if I have to!"

"You'll do no such thing!" Tali shouted. "Shepard vas Normandy has done nothing wrong!"

Confused by her response Raan said, "Then what is the meaning of this child? Is this your idea of a joke? Are you trying to give an old women a heart attack!"

Sitting up, Shepard wiped the blood from his lip and said, "Old with a hell of a right hook..."

Growing even more furious from his comment, Shala looked to him and shouted, "Silence fiend! Or I'll have you spaced with the next load of garbage!"

Tali took few steps closer to her and yelled while pointing angrily. "Over my lifeless, unsuited corpse!"

"What in the names of the ancestors has come over you child? Why do you protect him?"

Inhaling deeply, Tali summons all her resolve and says as assertively as she can, "Because he has made a vow to me Aunt Shala. We are to be bonded."

Shala felt a wave of a thousand thoughts jolt through her mind; the exhaustion of the day finally taking its toll combined with the shock of Tali's words. She quickly found herself in a state of vertigo and began stumbling backwards; nearly falling over before Tali caught her.

"Aunt Shala!" Tali shouted. Looking into her visor she could see that her eyes were barely open and could hear her mumbling something in Khelish. It was then that two Quarian guards came into the room with pistols drawn.

"Is everyone alright? We heard screaming and...what happened to the Admiral?" The male guard asked.

"Bring water quickly!" Tali said looking in the guards direction. The two officers shared a puzzled look then turned back to Tali. "Now!" She shouted.

"Uh, yes ma'am! Right away!" The guards ran off down the corridor looking for the requested item while Tali carried her Auntie over to the bed and with the assistance of Shepard, laid her gently over the mattress.

"Breathe Auntie, just breathe..." she spoke softly laying her hand gingerly on Shala's abdomen.

Concerned she had fallen ill, Shepard asked, "What's wrong with her?"

Looking up at his still uncovered head she replied, "I'm not sure. Probably just severe exhaustion." Noticing his bruised cheek and bloodied lip she adds. "Keelah, all you alright Shepard?"

"It's a lot less painful than getting slugged by a Krogan, Tali. I'll live." he assured.

Dropping her head, she began to feel terrible for her Auntie's actions. "I'm so sorry John. Had I known she would respond in this manner I would have told her of our relationship in the message. This is all my fault..."

"Don't blame yourself, Tali." He said reaching for her shoulder. "I'm the one who suggested we meet with her. And to be honest I sort of expected this."

"No you didn't." she replied slightly sullen.

"Well...aside from her being surprisingly strong..."

The Neema's mess hall was quite busy that time of day. Most of the Normandy's crew along with Quarian crew members sat at the many tables and benches around him. Though he paid them little attention. Something was eating through his mind like a parasite; dulling out all other sounds around him.

"Thank you." He heard those two words echo repeatedly in his thoughts. He had just finished informing the family members of his deceased squad of their loved one's deaths. But the words of only one puzzled him.

"Thank you." That was what Leti'Zenia, bond-mate of Moro'Zenia, told him. Most broke down sobbing. Others had hysterical fits of sadness. But she told him..."Thank you."

"Thank you." It was becoming unbearable to listen to. His head started to hurt and his vision went blurry. The voice seemed to repeat quicker as if purposely meaning him torment. It finally became too much.

Slamming his fist down on the table he yelled, "FOR WHAT!" His outburst drew the attention of all others in the room. He took a second to regain composure and looked around to see the many spectators staring at him. The room fell into such a silence that typing of an omni-tool could be heard.

Kal stood up and walked out of the mess hall with dozens of eyes following his movement. He didn't care. He found himself in a long corridor as he stepped through the first door his saw. Leaning against the wall he tried to clear his thoughts of that infernal word.

"Thank you?" He whispered to himself. "For what? Getting your bond-mate killed?" Why did she say it? Did she think he was some sort of hero for bringing her the news she never should have lived to hear? Was it because Kal gave him a chance to die for the good of the fleet? What fleet? This rotting hell-hole of indecisive bureaucrats that failed to make any act to save their dying race?

This can't continue he thought. 300 years and millions KIA later, things were no different than they were back then. The ranking officers made the orders to send them to their deaths, and the soldiers obey without question. Why is it that they had no say in the matter? Why should they die in vain on missions that end up being counter-productive to the fleet's cause? When was enough, enough?

He continued in his train of thought as he walked back to his lonely cubicle. As he drew back the curtain that was improvised as the door, he took note of all his possessions inside. It wasn't much different from any others cubicle. A narrow 10 by 10 surrounding of walls that gave a strong since of claustrophobia, a single locker for suit essentials and weapons, a small desk, and a thin mat laid out over the floor to use for sleeping.

He stepped inside and walked over to his locker. A few keystrokes and it opened upon accepting his code. His Predator pistol hung on the rack next to his suit's special armor plating. He hesitated but slowly reached out and took the weapon in hand. He then sat down on his mat and examined the pistol he held in his lap.

Holding it up to his face, he pulled back the top of the weapon, cocking it, and then brought it back to his lap. So easy it was he thought. Simply point the barrel at any being and one shot to the head would end it's life. Death. He wondered what it was like. To have the life snuffed out of your body and your soul traveling to the afterlife to join the ancestors. He wondered if all the men he'd lost over his years as a marine were there; or if there even was life after death. What if all this labor and perseverance for the fleet held nothing for them in death...

How many missions would it be before his time came? Before he would feel the burning sensation of lasers from a Geth's pulse rifle pierce through his armor and sear his skin. Maybe it would be painful, maybe not depending on where he was hit. Either way, it couldn't be worse than living out your life only to watch those around you wither and die. Maybe his next assignment would be it. Yes. He almost—no, hoped, that it would be. It would be so easy. Just find any enemy and stow his weapon. Just let whatever desires him harm to grant him his wish. The more he thought about it the easier it was to believe. To just let himself be die if it meant if would end the images of all those men he had lost...

"Sir?" The familiar form of the female Quarian, Vel'Lara vas Neema, brushed the curtain to the side and looked at him quizzically.

Kal almost jumped from her voice as it shocked him away from his tormenting thoughts and back to the present. "We're off duty Vel. Call me Kal." He in a flat tone.

"Right, sorry Kal." Vel pointed inside the room as if asking for permission to enter. Kal waved her over with his a slight motion of his head.

She took a seat next to him on the floor, being careful not to get to close to allow him to keep his personal space, and looked at him with nervous eyes. "Is there something you need?" asked Kal slightly sullen.

"Just wanted to talk if you don't mind. I couldn't help but notice you're outburst in the mess hall." Kal averted his eyes and returned his gaze to the weapon in his lap. She decided against prying for answers as to why he was fondling it like a pet. "You're thinking about the others. The ones that didn't make it I mean."

Kal froze for a moment. He didn't realize he was so transparent. At least not to someone as young and naïve as her. "Their lives are on me..." he replied quietly.

"I may be young but I know enough to know that they knew the risks when they were assigned to the mission Kal. Their deaths are on their own hands." she said trying her best to bring him an inch of comfort.

"It was my responsibility as Squad leader to see they return home safely. You wouldn't understand." Retorted Kal.

"They made their choice Kal. And they all died as heroes of the fleet." Heroes? He wanted to laugh at the word but held it back. They may mark their names with the title, but in the end they are viewed as collateral for the fleet.

"You're right..." He said, slowly standing up. Vel felt a smile work its way onto her lips. She felt she had succeeded in bringing him some peace.

"You are young..." He finished as he walked out of the cubicle. Vel's smile was instantly replaced by a frown. She began to feel stupid for coming by and checking on him. In the end it was a failed attempt. At least she tried. And she wouldn't give up on him.

Tali worked diligently to make sure Shala was nice and comfortable. After calming her down she had given her a mild sedative to help her rest. She also disabled her audio receivers to make sure they didn't disturb her slumber.

Tali gave her auntie's hand a gently squeeze then laid it over her stomach as she walked over to her human fiance who was fastening his air-tight helmet back on. She stopped him him saying, "Wait just a minute John. Let me have a look at that jaw."

She lifted the N7 helmet back up off of him and placed it on the desk to the side. Shepard protesting as he brushed her hand away. "I said I'm fine, Tali. It doesn't hurt-" he winced as she put a little pressure on the wound with her finger. "...that bad."

Sighing, she reached into her suit pocket and pulled out an antiseptic cloth. "Even the great Shepard vas Normandy feels pain." She retorted.

He accepted his defeat in the argument and let her proceed in dabbing each bloody spot on the side of his face; wincing slightly when he felt the cloth touch his swollen lip. "Ow. Was that necessary?" He knew she had put more pressure on it intentionally.

"Oh, stop whining you bosh'tet. Love hurts, deal with it." She replied sullenly. He felt a smile form on his face only to feel the sting of the open wound on his lip. Retracting her hand, Tali laid the cloth on the desk then opened a pack of medi-gel and gently glazed it along the side of his face.

"Better?" She asked with a smirk. Shepard grinned widely revealing his blood-stained teeth. She laughed at the spectacle causing him to shrug and join in with a chuckle.

"Now put it back on before you breathe something filthy into the air." She said playfully, referring to his N7 helmet. He carefully placed it over his head until he heard a loud click which told him that the latches had clamped down and sealed.

Now that they had some quiet time to themselves, he decided that now would be the best time to discuss her actions that nearly cost her her life back on Ilos.

"You know Tali..." he spoke softly so as not to cause her discomfort. "You really scared me back on Ilos..." He watched as she froze in place as she was putting the half-used medi-gel pack back into her bag.

Returning from her petrified state, Tali stood up and walked over to the corner of the room with her head dropped and her arms crossed defensively. "Shepard..." back to the last name basis. He'd struck a nerve. "I do not want to talk about this right now."

He did his best to maintain a soft spoken tone as he said, "I know you don't. And that's what worries me..." Stepping up behind her he placed a hand on each of her shoulders.

"I know being a Quarian isn't easy. I know that growing up you were taught to sacrifice everything you own, including your life if need be for the fleet."

Tali's thoughts drifted to memories of her late father. All the lectures and commands she received as his daughter. Stay strong for the fleet. All eyes are upon you; expecting you to fail. Prove the wrong he'd say.

He continued. "But you're not a serving under a Quarian captain anymore; you're not taking orders from your father. You're Tali'Zorah vas Normandy now. There are no expectations for you to fulfill, no cause you need to throw your life away so rationally for..."

He could feel her body tremble. Whether she was infuriated, or sobbing, he couldn't tell. He slid his hands down her arms and stopped at her waist. Gently turning her around to face him. As she brought her gaze up, the two locked eyes. She could see the pure sincerity that radiated from his bright blue eyes. His words were soft and true.

"You remember what I told you when you talked about linking suits for the first time?" he asked in almost a whisper.

"You said I didn't need to prove anything to you..." came her quivering voice, full of emotional distress.

"I wasn't speaking hypothetically..." He could see past her visor as her expression lost all strength and she fell into a sobbing fit. She let herself fall into his arms and tucked her head under his chin as he wrapped his strong arms around her like a blanket. Shielding her from all that threatened to tear her down.

"Dammit...I'm sorry..." She said in between sobs.

Shepard caressed the back of her hood as he whispered. "You've got nothing to be sorry about..."

"Yes I do." Came her sobbing reply. "I couldn't see past my own selfish motivations. You're right about me, Kal was right..."

Shepard used his other hand to gingerly rub her back while tightening his loving embrace. Trying to find the right words, he simply said. "Tali..."

"He...He told me father made him promise to protect me on Haestrom. He was worried for me John! He cared and he couldn't even say it to my face! Damn that...bosh'tet!" Her sobbing intensified. He realized that this was her way of mourning for her father. All the bottled up emotion he thought had been vented on the Alarei.

"He loved you Tali, regardless of his actions. He never wanted his daughter to die for his recognition. He always wanted better for you in the end." Spoke Shepard softly.

"And I did get better..." noticing that her voice was regaining composure, he broke the embrace and locked eyes with her once more as she finished. "I got you."

Shala felt vision return to her. She felt a slight ache in her heard as she lifted her head up and found that she couldn't hear anything outside of the metallic, muffled voices that came from the corner of the room. Slowly turning her head, she saw her beloved Tali'Zorah wrapped in a warm embrace with Shepard vas Normandy. She was ready to leap off of the bed but restrained herself when she remembered the events prior to her losing consciousness. She felt it would be best to not cause another dramatic display. Instead she let them continue to savor the warmth of each other and let her head fall back down on the pillow as she pretended to be asleep.


	39. Ch39: Solemn

"This is a waste of time. Krogan are strong, we don't need to get involved in stupid Alien politics." Bellowed Grunt as he looked over at his new Battle-master. He was irritated to say the least at being dragged along for fruitless debate. He'd rather pull the legs off a Varren. Even that was more fun than this he thought.

"Look, I'm not to thrilled about to this either." Replied Wrex in his usual deep voice. "But like it or not, we're gonna need allies to help rebuild our planet. You don't wanna be sleeping with a rock for a pillow a century from now do you?"

"The Salarians created the genophage and the Turians spat it in our faces. What makes you think they won't shoot us in the back once we get there?" Grunt retorted.

"The Council used us as tools to squash the Rachni. Maybe if we can get a standing in their political system we can prevent that from happening again when- and if we find a cure for the genophage. Otherwise our race will continue to circle the drain." Grunt sighed feeling defeated. His stubborn Krogan nature still disagreed with him though.

"Fine." Said the young Krogan. "Just as long as I get to kill the first one that points a gun at us."

Wrex laughed. "You'll get your chance boy. Trouble tends to be right on my ass." The Krogan battle-master used his large three digit hand to type a command into the shuttle's console adjusting the auto-pilot's coordinates. "Anyway, we're still a few hours out from the Citadel. Feel free to entertain yourself with some fornax in the meantime." He said finishing with a devious smile as he looked at the younger Krogan sitting in the co-pilot seat to his right.

Chuckling Grunt replied with, "Why would I want to rot my brain with the extranet looking at that crap?"

"Oh I don't know..." Replied Wrex sarcastically. "Maybe in case Okeer forgot to imprint mating practices into that thick head-plate of yours? You wouldn't want to disappoint your next breeding request would you?"

"Haha!" Laughed Grunt. "At least I'm getting some. When was the last time you felt a female's warmth battle-master?"

"Hmm...now that I think about it, a while." Shrugged Wrex. "I'll have to have a talk with the female clan ambassador when we get back." He said bringing about another devious smile.

Grunt smiled back at his battle-master before leaving his chair and walking to the back of the ship towards the weapons lockers. It was his second favorite way of passing time. Adjusting and admiring his Claymore shotgun. Like Wrex, he favored the biggest and heaviest gun he could carry. The Claymore was no exception. He loved the feel of the recoil against his shoulder when he pulled the trigger, loved watching an enemy explode at point-blank range from the devastating impact of the heavy slugs.

Taking the weapon in his hands, he sat down on a bench next to the lockers. He slid his fingers down the massive barrel and began to remember the last time he had used it. It felt as if it had been forever since his dual with his former battle-master. He reveled in the memory of it. It was a battle unlike anything he had dreamed of. Though it came at a price...

He had mortally wounded Shepard during the battle. It wasn't until his blood rage diminished that he saw the error he had made in judgment. The last thing he remembered was hearing that Shepard had been stabelized and would survive his injuries. He felt guilty for the pain he caused him, for the pain he caused Tali, at least, as much guilt as a Krogan was capable of feeling.

It wasn't entirely in vain however. It was this turn of events that woke him up and allowed him to realize just how much of a issue his rage had become. Other Krogan didn't have the kind of control issues he experienced. Perhaps Okeer enhanced his blood rage to make him a better soldier? When alone his thoughts always focused on inflicting pain. In battle he was focused, clear-minded. After each one he would feel his his cease to boil. But in time the urge always came back. Always wanting more. But it doesn't matter now. His new battle-master had made great progress in helping him channel it properly; to control it so that it will not control him. It was the least he owed Shepard...

Shala waited until Tali had calmed her nerves before she decided to introduce herself. Shepard had since left the room to speak with the rest of his crew and evaluate their conditions. He insisted on staying to help her care for Shala but Tali suggested it was better if it wasn't there when she awoke. Shala slid up slowly, groaning from the strain of her sore joints, and called her niece's name.

"Tali...?" She looked to the desk sitting across from the bed she lay in and noticed her slumped over it with her helmet buried in her arms. She shot up quickly to meet the gaze of her Aunt; flinching slightly from the startling she received.

"Shala!" She stood up and walked over the edge of the bed. "You're awake. Are you feeling better?" She asked with concern in her now timid voice.

"I am feeling fine. Do not worry yourself for me Tali." The elder Quarian woman let out another painful groan as she slid her legs over the side of the bed; Tali taking a seat next to her on the edge. "How long was I asleep for?"

"Nearly an hour. You just collapsed when we were...arguing." Tali suddenly felt a knot in her stomach; the air in her helmet suddenly burning with every breath. What was Shala going to say next? She expected every bit of a lecture about how foolish loving a human was. About how it was inferior compared to the vow she had taken for her people. She braced herself when she heard her aunt take a deep breathe. The first words escaping her mouth only a second later.

"Tali, before my fainting, I remember hearing you say that you love Shepard vas Normandy..." The nervous, young engineer began to wring her hands together. A clear symptom of anxiety that even Shala recognized. She slid herself closer to her niece and spoke softly. "You do realize what that word means among to our people, the depth of it's meaning, yes?"

"I do." She replied after a momentary pause. Letting her emotions slip she blurted out, "And whether you approve or not does not entitle you to assaulting him!"

Shala was mildly surprised at the assertiveness she took with her, but a little proud at the same time. "No, of course not. That was very unbecoming of me and I apologize. I knew you would bring home a man someday. But I was... unprepared for...this."

"This? You mean the fact that he's human?" retorted Tali.

"No! I mean- yes." She stammered trying to find the correct words to express herself. "But that is all it is Tali; shock of the situation. I do not think any less of him for what he is. It's just that it is very uncommon to see aliens in a relationship with Quarians such as us."

"And that's exactly why I fell for him Shala. He doesn't see a Quarian when he looks at me. Others refer to me by thief, harlot, vagrant. He sees none of those things." Her voice calmed as she continued. "Ever since I departed on my pilgrimage and came aboard his ship he has treated me as he would anyone else. Without even knowing what I look like he trusted me with his life. When I'm around him I never feel like a stranger but an equal."

"The day you returned home two years ago...you mourned him because you loved him even then?" There was a brief silence that followed Shala's words.

"Yes...and then the ancestors brought him back to me. I was granted a second chance at love auntie; a chance to live a life away from all...this." She said waving her hand around the room.

Shala was speechless. How could she have been so naive; so dense as to not see what plagued her adopted niece with such great sorrow back then. How could it have slipped her mind during the trial? Clearly this man loved her the same. He spoke with such pride and dignity for her. He was a good man indeed.

"Tali, if you had only spoken to me of this sooner I would have-" The beeping of her omni-tool cut her off abruptly. Tali turned and gave a slight nod to reassure her to answer it. Summoning the holographic interface, Shala scrolled through a message written in Khelish.

"I'm so sorry child. But I have been called to a board meeting. I must depart for the Rayya." She said apologetically.

"It's alright aunt Shala. You shouldn't keep them waiting." Shala brought her niece into a tight embrace before standing to leave. "I will return shortly. We still have much to discuss, Tali."

Tali followed her to the metal door and opened it for her. As Shala stepped through the doorway she turned and said, "Please deliver my sincere apology to that bosh'tet human of yours." She said with a chuckle to let her know she was joking.

"I will Shala. Keelah Se'lai."

"Keelah Se'lai." Shala said returning the kind gesture.

"Rael, Rael, Rael..." Admiral Daro'Xen uttered at she scrolled through the recovered data from the Alarei on her private terminal. "You've been a very busy man haven't you..."

Before her was anything and everything pertaining to Rael'Zorah's research conducted on the Alarei before the tragic incident that claimed the lives of everyone on board, including Rael'Zorah. Daro had been working tirelessly for weeks decrypting and analyzing every last terabyte of data pertaining to his research. The implications of the project, the experiments, told her that were it not for the unexpected Geth parts turning sapient, the would have successfully completed the program in less than a month. With her knowledge and experience in studying AI, the Moreh's science team could easily finish what they started. Ironic that the one person in the galaxy she had to thank for this was Shepard. His interference in Tali'Zorah's trial was unexpected and unfortunate, but in the end things tipped in her favor. Him choosing to keep the data a secret allowed her the perfect opportunity to board the Alarei and snatch what was left on the main hub before the rest of the Admiralty board could discover and prevent her from working in secret.

She continued to scroll through the data, her eyes darting across the display rapidly to keep up with the with every code that flew by. She halted the display when a certain strand of code caught her eye.

"My, my, what have we here?" Everything in the technical readouts showed that the project was to create a weapon; a virus that would infect the Geth network on a galactic scale and ultimately cause their run times to shut down permanently. But from what she was seeing the in programs most basic code told her that this virus could easily be re-purposed to hack their directives and allow the up-loader total control over the entire collective. It was as if the ancestors had appeared to her and granted her her greatest wish. This was what she had been striving for; a way to return the Geth to the obedience of their masters, and with that, bring the rest of the galaxy to its knees before the might of the Quarian race they so quickly shunned from their worlds.

A devious smirk found its way to her lips as she relished in her dream of a Quarian utopia, the annoying beeping over her omni-tool jolting her back to the present a moment later. Lifting up her arm, she activates the interface and begins reading the message. Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema has apparently requested an emergency board meeting on the Rayya.

"Again with that war mongering bosh'tet." She says to herself. "This had better be worth my invaluable time."

Daro'Xen's personal shuttle craft docks with the Rayya nearly half an hour later. As she stepped out of the airlock and entered the corridor she was greeted with the sight of a few Quarian marines lounging and relaxing against the railing. As soon as they notice her they quickly stand up straight and hold their rifles firmly against their chests as she passed by. It flattered her knowing that she could inspire such fear and respect at the same time. Soon it would be more than simple fear and respect, soon they would all not stand, not bow.

She walked through a series of seemingly unending corridors when she finally came to the hatch leading into the board's private conference room. She stepped inside as the hatch hissed open. Shala'Raan, Zael'Korris, and Han'Gerrel had already arrived and sat on opposite ends around a circular table with a holographic interface projector embedded in the center. She walked around that suit wetter she knew as Admiral Korris and casually took her seat waiting for Gerrel to explain his reasons for summoning them on such inconvenient, short notice. Whatever it was, she suspected it must have something to do with the two Quarian marines the Normandy recovered.

Standing up Han addressed each of them. "This board meeting is now in session. Thank you for your patience admirals. I'm sure you're anxious to understand why I called this meeting so I'll get right down to it."

Admiral Xen crossed her arms, Korris leaned forward over the table, Shala remained in her current posture. "As you know the Normandy recently boarded my ship with two rescued marines of mine. I won't deny, I did send a team to intercept and recon the Geth ships seen leaving the veil. They followed them through the MU relay to the planet Ilos. They were discovered and lost six men however, before Shepard arrived on scene to evac. Kal'Reegar, one of my best, tells me that the Geth have been subdued to the control of a Reaper."

Shala gasped slightly. "A Reaper?"

"You did this without our consent?" Interjected Zaal'Korris. "Do you hold no loyalty to what this board represents? You're actions risk throwing us into open war on our own grounds!"

"The Geth haven't left the veil in two years!" Han shouted. "I won't risk being unprepared for an all out attack on the fleet. Or have you forgotten the massacre of Eden Prime and the battle of the Citadel, Korris?"

"That was a purely human incident and therefore holds no relativity in your defense!" Retorted Zaal.

"Wrong Korris! You think the Geth will stop after the humans? The walking slag piles you're so eager to be friends with will kill us all! Or maybe that's what you're afraid of. Maybe you want to live to be their pet once they've killed the rest of us?"

Zaal slammed his fist on the table and replied, "I've had about enough of your insolence you-"

"That's enough Admirals!" Shala intervened. "We must focus on this new threat at the moment."

"Admiral Raan is correct." said Daro finally adding her own words to the discussion. "You men can kill each other over your irrational ideals later. For now we must discuss what course of action to take to counter this opposition."

Han took his seat slowly. "The most rational choice would be to hit them where they live while the rest linger in Geth controlled star systems. We could reclaim our homeworld and end this threat before it escalates to a war on a galactic scale."

"You would see our fleet burn in the skies of Rannoch Gerrel?" said Zaal. "Our supplies are strained as it is. We have no where near enough assets for a full scale invasion."

"As much as I would like to disagree, Admiral Korris is correct. Even if we had the resources to invade the Perseus veil, we still have no knowledge of the strength of the Geth collective." said Daro. She would do everything she had to to prevent war. Just a little more time and her weapon would be operational. These fools would not ruin that.

Silence fell over the room leaving Shala the last to state her opinion. Han looked at her expectantly from across the table. "Shala?"

"I'm sorry Han. But they are right. We can't risk the survival of our race without the proper intelligence."

Han sighed. "Very well...if no one has anything else to add, this board meeting is adjourned."

Aranya T'Konis sat at one of the tables in the mess hall of the Neema with a datapad in hand. The lights were dimmed with not a soul in sight but herself. It was the time in between shifts when most of the crew was sleeping. She figured it would be a good a time as any to catch up on any information her contacts may have leaked regarding the location of Vido Santiago.

The snapping of a loaded pistol caused her to look up. "Sending a greeting card to your blood pack pimps?" Snarled Zaeed with his weapon pointed at her head.

She froze and lifted her hands up. "Hey, chill, I was just checking for any leads on Vido's location."

Zaeed held out his hand. "Let me see the datapad." Aranya slowly handed it to him. He looked through the paragraphs and saw nothing suspicious after a moment. He handed it back to her which she angrily snatched from his hand.

"You can be a real grouch sometimes." She said sullenly.

"Can't be too careful." Narrowing his eyes he added, "Can you blame me?"

"I guess not. Anyway, I've done some digging. My contact on Omega says he might have something for me. I'll keep an eye on it but I'm not making any promises." She said.

"Just make it quick darling." Zaeed said as he turned to leave. "I aint got another 20 years of patience in me."

Staring back down at the datapad, Arayna replied, "Advantage of being an Asari, you got all the time in the galaxy."

Shepard returned the large cubicle nearly an hour after Shala's departure. When he entered Tali was sitting at the desk while absentmindedly surfing the extranet to pass the time.

"Shepard, where have you been for the past hour? My shoulders have been begging for the company of your hands." She said playfully.

Walking over to her with a grin under his helmet, Shepard placed a hand on each shoulder and began roughly massaging the aches away eliciting a quiet moan from her. After a minute he leaned his head in over her shoulder and whispered where he knew her ear to be.

"Have your shoulders been satisfied, Ma'am?" He teased.

Tali moaned again before replying, "Indeed they have, John."

"You are so sexy when you say my name." He said letting his hands slide off her shoulders and down her arms as she gracefully found her way into his arms.

Giggling she said, "Remind me again what that word means?"

Shepard let out a laugh of his own and led her to the side of bed. "I will. But first, I have something for you." As she sat down on the edge of the mattress, Shepard got done on one knee in front of her and lifted up a small box in his hands. Tali brought her hands to the sides of her helmet as he opened the top revealing a uniquely designed, platinum chain necklace with a large blue diamond crafted proficiently by Quarian hands connecting each end.

"Oh...John..." She could barely speak as her heart tried to escape from her chest.

"I...picked this up during my...errand. It reminded me of you." Taking the necklace in hand, Shepard lightly taped the diamond causing it to glow brightly from the tiny amount of element zero encased within. Tali's breath caught in her chest as he handed it to her and helped her tie it behind her neck. A little difficult with her hood on, but not impossible.

As it was snapped in place, Tali looked down at the fading light emanating from the diamond. "It's...so majestic, beautiful..." She looked up and locked eyes with Shepard. "Thank you..."

Shepard gingerly took her hands in his as her eyes began to mist. "It got me thinking Tali. We don't know how much longer we have till Sovereign makes his next move. We don't even know how much longer we..." No, he wasn't going talk about death. They will live to share the live they wanted with one another. "Tali, lets get married. Tomorrow. Forget everything else."

Tali placed one hand over the diamond on her chest. "Yes!" She said throwing herself into his embrace. She pulled back after a brief moment. "I'll tell Shala as soon as she returns. She may be upset, but I don't care. I want this John, for the both of us."

"So do I Tali. " He said as they went back into to their solemn embrace. "So do I..."


	40. Ch40: Resolve

Wrex's shuttle rapidly decelerated exiting the relay and the two occupants found themselves cruising through the misty clouds of the Serpent Nebula that so cleverly hid the massive station known as the Citadel. As he entered a series of commands in the haptic interface an irritated voice spoke from behind.

"Are we there yet? I want to kill something!" Wrex peered behind him to see Grunt walking into the cockpit in the corner of his eye.

Noting the impatience in his tone Wrex replied as his companion took his station in the co-pilot seat. "Quit your grumbling we're there."

"Good." Replied the young Krogan. "I wasn't bred to sit inside a piece of crap like this."

"This 'piece of crap' has saved my hardened hide a thousand times since before you felt the water in your tank, boy. Best give it its due respect." Replied Wrex.

"Why do you keep referring to me as a juvenile?" Asked Grunt angrily. "I passed the rite, I killed the Thresher maw. I'm an adult by Urdnot's standards!"

Chuckling Wrex explained. "By Urdnot's standards, not mine. Til you can quit griping every hour of the day about killing something and give my ears some peace, then you'll have earned my respect."

"Hmph, killing is in my blood. It is what I am for." Grunt sulked.

Still adjusting the ships thrusters, Wrex said, "I won't deny that. Not sure what Okeer did to you in that tank but my guess is he amplified your natural Krogan blood rage. Just try to control it at least while were here."

"I will do as I am told battle-master. But I won't hesitate if we are threatened..."

The shuttle came to a clearing in the clouds that allowed them a crystal clear view of the giant Reaper construct in the distance. The Asari dreadnaught, the Destiny Ascension, along with various cruisers of Turian and Salarian design patrolled along its outer arms. They passed several small cargo vessels before Wrex opened a direct channel to Citadel's docking operator.

"Citadel control this is the Belial requesting docking clearance." The Krogan battle-master rested against the back of his seat as he waited for a response. Seconds turned into minutes as they awaited a reply. Growing impatient, Grunt spoke up.

"What the hell are they waiting for? I'll have his head!"

Wrex rolled his eyes back and turned to him saying, "Never thought I'd say this, but you whine more than my brother." Just as he finished the response finally came through.

"Acknowledged Belial. Docking clearance granted. Welcome to the Citadel." Replied the male operator.

"See?" Wrex said as he primed the thrusters and accelerated the ship towards their destination. "A little patience can go a long way. Something I learned hunting criminals and crime lords in the old days. Keep that in mind." He finished narrowing his eyes. It wasn't like Wrex to be so cautious, but he needed this. His race needed this. A chance to rise above what they already are, change the galaxies view of the Krogan. He would make sure that the genophage would not be their legacy.

Wrex gently flew the shuttle into the docking bay and held it steady as he felt the docking clamps lock the ship in place. He powered down the ships drive core then stood up and walked toward the exit hatch, grabbing an assault rifle off the weapon rack as he did. He hit the release button to open the airlock then turned to his young companion.

"Ready for some peace talks?" Grunt responded by cocking his shotgun. "Good boy."

The two stepped outside the shuttle and walked down the docking ramp with weapons folded on their backs. An elevator took them to the C-sec security checkpoint where they would 'check-in' for their hopefully short stay on the Citadel. Fearful onlookers avoided eye contact with the two heavily armed Krogan as they took their place in line behind a Turian at the checkpoint scanner. The green scan lines ran up and down his body before sounding a brief alert. The C-sec Turian looked up from his terminal at his fellow kinsmen and asked flatly.

"Please remove any weapons and/or biotic amps you may be carrying." The Turian shrugged and complied by handing the officer his wrist bracer that served as his biotic amp and was allowed to pass. "Next..." The two Krogan both stood side by side as the scanner performed a contraband check. The same alert sounded. The Turian officer stared suspiciously at his terminal as his eyes slowly widened and he drew his pistol.

"Relinquish your weapons and put your hands on your head!" He demanded.

Chuckling Wrex replied sarcastically. "What seems to be the problem?"

"There's an outstanding warrant for your arrest. Along with a rap-sheet longer than my family's ancestral records. Arsen, theft, bribery, destruction of public property, disturbing the peace, assaulting a C-sec officer..."

"I'm willing to add murder of a C-sec officer to that..." Wrex stated aggressively as Grunt aimed his shotgun at the Turian's head.

The C-sec Turian responded by steadying his weapon while using his other hand to activate his comm link. "Captain, I'm going to need some back up in here..." A few seconds later an even taller Turian along with a female human officer came running in through the door behind him.

"What's going on here sergeant?" Asked the Captain.

"Take a look at the terminal sir. I caught these two trigger happy Krogan trying to sneak past our security." The Turian officer replied with an exaggerated amount of pride in his voice.

The Turian captain stepped over to the terminal and examined the file thoroughly. After a moment he shook his head. "Let them proceed..."

"What?" Gasped the over zealous officer. "Captain you can't seriously-"

"These are delegates from the Krogan homeworld sergeant. Let them pass." He turned to the Krogan clad in red armor. "My apologies Urdnot Wrex. You're clear to proceed through to the presidium. Do try to be civil and prevent your colleague from discharging his weapon."

Shoving the humiliated Turian officer aside as he passed through the checkpoint with Grunt following suite he replied. "No promises..."

Shepard and Tali awoke early the next morning, eager and excited to get their wedding plans underway before fate pulled them back into the fire of combat and away from the serenity and comfort of the Migrant fleet.

The first thing Tali did was send for her aunt Shala, informing her of matter of great importance that she must discuss with her to which Shala replied saying she would return in a few hours after attending to her political duties to the fleet. Meanwhile Shepard called for his crew to gather in the CIC of the Normandy for a special announcement. The crew wasted no time regrouping back on the ship to hear the news. Most hoped their commander would be announcing a shore leave but knew it was highly unlikely due to the nature of their current mission.

As the loving couple passed through the Normandy's airlock they were greeted with the expected audience of the Normandy's crew all gathered around the railing of the galaxy map. He took a step forward with his lovely Quarian's hand held tightly in his own.

"Ladies and gentleman, men and women of the finest crew I've ever had the honor to have under my command, you've all served me well, bled for me, respected me like a father. Let me say that words cannot express my gratitude for that." He said giving a slight bow at the end.

"But now as I take the next step in my life towards a new future, I ask that you will show the same for my soon to be...wife and life-long mate..."

The crew each shared their own expressions of surprise and excitement. Kelly placed both hands over her mouth to cover the ever growing grin that spread across her cheeks, Garrus used his mandibles to give the Turian impression of a smirk, Jack even narrowed one eye and crossed her arms with a devious smile. Samara was the only one that remained nearly emotionless, a hint of a smile slowly sneaking its way to her lips.

"I, Commander John Shepard, captain of the Normandy, and Chief engineer Tali'Zorah are to be married this afternoon. And you're all invited to attend."

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers. Garrus made his way over and gave Shepard a strong, firm handshake before turning to Tali and offering a friendly hug. The rest of the crew shared their own expressions of approval. Each taking turns with handshakes, hugs, and small talk to offer their congratulations.

As the crew dispersed and returned to their assigned duties Tali began to send wedding invites through her omni-tool to any friends and family she may have forgotten, bouncing on her toes excitedly as she did. When she was finished she turned to her husband to be and took on a more serious composure.

"We should return to our cubicle, John. Shala will be here soon."

Shepard took her hand and brought it up to his face, planting a gentle kiss on her glove as he did. "After you m'lady." He said with a wave of his hand toward the airlock.

The two soon returned to the larger than normal cubicle Han had been so kind to offer them and began serious conversation over the details of the wedding. Shepard knew everything there was involved in a human wedding, but Quarian bondings were still a complete mystery to him and he wanted to cover every detail to make sure this was absolutely perfect for her.

"You know, Tali. You should probably explain to me how Quarian weddings work. I don't want to end up embarrassing you in front of everyone."

Giggling she replied. "That's probably unavoidable John. But I can help so that you want look as bad as you would if knew nothing. What is it you would like to know?"

"Well, is it customary for the lovers to present each other with some sort of gift?" He asked.

"No, not in practice anyway. We link suit environments during the ceremony to make the bond official. The suits make it difficult to wear any jewelry or wedding rings as I've seen in your culture." She said gently fondling the diamond necklace he had given to her causing its eezo filled diamond to glow. "That's what makes this so special to me." She added smiling under her mask.

"If I could...I'd give you the whole galaxy..."

Tali laughed and replied. "I wouldn't know what to do with it all, John. But thank you for the thought. You've already given me more than..." She suddenly became silent as her thoughts drifted to her deceased father whom she regretted would not be able to witness his own daughter's bonding.

Seeing her drop her head slowly, he knew what she was thinking about. He decided it would be best to change the subject rather than discuss the past that so harshly haunted her. "...So do I need to have a best man?"

Her mind sprung back to the present at his question. "What? Oh sorry. Um...best man?"

"Yeah. In human weddings the groom chooses someone very close to him, someone he trusts like a brother or a good friend to have the honor of bearing witness to the genuine nature of the groom's love for his bride." He explained.

"Oh, yes. Except the two are each to have their own witness rather than just one of them. I plan on giving that honor to aunt Shala...if she will accept it..."

Shepard placed a hand on the side of her hood and caressed it gingerly to comfort her. "Don't worry. She loves you as much as your mother did. I'm sure she'll support you in this. It's me who's probably going to end up in the infirmary..."

Shaking of her doubts Tali asked. "What about you, John? Have you decided on a...best man?"

Shepard felt himself at a loss for words. "Honestly, I don't know. I've had the pleasure of commanding such a fine crew. I trust them all with my life. Maybe Garrus would..." The sound of the clanking gears opening the cubicle door sliding open interrupted him. The two gazed into the piercing light that entered the room to see Shala'Raan casually walk in, closing the door behind her.

"Tali, I came as soon as I received your message." Walking over to the two she added. "Captain Shepard, Please forgive me for my...outburst. I hope I did not cause you to suffer any permanent injury."

Lifting his hand up, he assured her that he held no hard feelings. "It's nothing that won't heal with time Admiral. I'm sorry you had to see us like that. Just...next time...try knocking first?"

Chuckling she replied. "I will do not forgot Shepard." She turned to Tali. "Tali, is there something you wanted to speak with me about?"

Tali nervously pivoted towards Shepard looking at him with pleading eyes; worried that her aunt might go ballistic again knowing that their wedding would be today. Shepard simply waved his head in Shala's direction to let her know everything would be fine.

Finally looking her aunt in the eyes she said with all the strength she could muster. "Aunt Raan. Shepard and I wish to perform our bonding ceremony this day. And I would like you to serve as my witness."

Shala seemed to be frozen in place as a sudden silence filled the room. Tali began to tremble lightly as she awaited the answer she feared would snuff out her dream of a life with this man. Shepard took a deep breath letting his chest muscles expand and relax; doing better to hide his anxiousness.

"Tali..." Shala spoke softly. "May I please speak to Shepard alone for a moment?"

Gasping lightly Tali turned to Shepard and grabbed his hand, holding it tight. "It's alright Tali. There are some things I should clear up with the Admiral anyway."

Wearily, she let loose on her grip letting his hand slide out of her glove as she walked past Shala and made her way to the cubicle door; taking one last look back to him as he nodded assuring her everything would be alright. She trusted his judgment.

As the door sealed Shala inhaled deeply and cleared her throat. "Do not be alarmed Shepard vas Normandy. I only wish to clarify, not intimidate."

"Now I have spoken to Tali and I sincerely believe that she loves you in the deepest since of the word. But I can not bless this bonding unless I hear your side Shepard. I must know that what lies in her heart also lies in yours, that there is no hidden political agenda to this relationship." Shala explained.

"Tell me Captain Shepard vas Normandy...why do you love her?"

Every treasured memory he had of Tali flooded his mind like a tidal wave. The day he saved her life from Fist's men, giving her the Geth data for her pilgrimage, reuniting with her on Freedom's progress. The one that he focused on the most though, was the night he felt her lips for the first time before passing through the Omega 4 relay. He remembered every moment like that of a Drell reliving it. Her quivering voice, her smell, the feel of her skin, the taste of her saliva. It was that moment in his life that allowed him to open his heart and let the emotions from the depths of his human soul flow forth into the form of words.

"What hurts worse Admiral, saying something you shouldn't have, or never saying anything and living your whole life wishing you had?" There was a brief pause as he let Shala contemplate what he said before continuing.

"I can tell you from experience that it's the later. It wasn't until I was thrown from my exploding ship into the merciless void that I discovered what I regretted in my life, the only thing I regretted, and that was never telling her I loved her. When I was given another chance I had to take it, I couldn't live a second live and die with the same feeling..."

"Meeting her was fate...being her friend was my choice...but falling in love with her...that was completely beyond my control..."

"Tali is my mirror on the wall. Through her I can see myself for who I really am, for who I didn't know I was. She's the voice in my heart reminding me of my morals and obligations to all that is good in this galaxy..."

"She may have to be in a clean room for me to see her face, or to feel skin, but if that's what it takes I'll happily live with it, with her..." He finished.

Shala took a few moments to carefully review every detailed word in her mind. A minute passed when she finally summoned her omni-tool and called Tali back into the room. She entered a moment later and stood next Shepard as she awaited a response from her aunt.

"Although this is on short..." She began. "Your words have exposed your souls desires and I truly believe that there is merit to this love."

"Tali, Shepard, I will go out of my way to prepare the ceremony for this evening. You both have my most heart filled blessing."

Like a dream come true, Tali squeaked as she leaped forward and embraced Shala tightly. Her aunt laughing and slowly pulling her away as Shepard smiled and shook his head.

"Thank you so much aunt Shala." Tali said turning to hug Shepard.

"If you will excuse me I will begin preparations. Tali, I expect you to teach him the required hand motions from Quarian sigh language." Said Shala walking toward the cubicle door.

"I will, we will be ready." Replied Tali.

"Thank you again Admiral. I wish words could express my gratitude." Said Shepard.

"Please." Shala said as she stepped into the doorway. "Call me Shala."

Smiling Shepard replied. "John."

"Then I will see you again at the ceremony John." She added closing the door behind her.

Kolyat checked every angle the Presidium offered as he walked with the rear C-sec guard escorting Councilor Anderson to meet with the Krogan delegates over by the Krogan memorial statue. Standing next to him was a Turian with two humans taking up the front. Even with this many officers he felt uneasy. It was as if something was nipping at the back of his neck. A sixth sense perhaps?

Whatever the reason he vowed he wouldn't let his guard down for a second. There where many protesters who opposed the human's inclusion in the council even after two long years. It would be foolish to attempt anything on the councilors life, but as the human saying goes: you can never be too careful.

Looking ahead he could see two Krogan standing at foot of the statue awaiting their arrival. One was larger than the other sporting classic Krogan battle armor with his head plate painted red. The other appeared juvenile. He wore similar armor and was armed only with a shotgun, possibly a body guard. He suspected as much. Krogans are big on many things except trust.

On an unseen balcony a figure clad in pitch black armor, a Cerberus logo on the shoulder plate the only decoration, unfolded a Widow Anti-material sniper rifle and connected it to a bi-pod sitting on the edge of the railing. Sighting down electronic scope he viewed the human councilor escorted by squad of highly trained C-sec officers. This was almost too easy. Lining up the cross-hairs and cocking the bolt-action loader, a single round entered the chamber and he prepared to carry out his orders.


	41. Ch41: Conviction

Kal had volunteered to help with the unloading of the resources brought back on the mining tugs from the planet Capek in the Neema's main hanger bay, hoping a little physical work would ease his the pain of his scarred mind. He had already tried sleeping, but everytime he closed his eyes the screaming, the visions of his dying marines all around him, they always returned.

He finished stacking the last of the metal crates unloaded from the mining tug and cocked his head left and right as he stretched out his arms to relieve the stiffness in his muscles. His omni-tool began to beep and he quickly summoned it to read the holographic message. His eyes widened as he raised his brows at the sudden shock of the message. Tali and Shepard...bonding? As far as he knew their relationship had only endured a few weeks and they have already chosen to join each other forever? A whirlwind relationship indeed, as the old human saying goes.

He began reading the last paragraph which stated his invitation to the ceremony this afternoon. A little soon, but for them he would make the time. The loading crew was overstaffed as it was. Perhaps he would speak with them directly to see if he could assist in the preparations for the ceremony. It would be a nice change of pace from the strain the heavy lifting was putting on his shoulders.

Leaving the hanger bay, he began walking down the main corridor to elevators that would take him to the upper decks. Along the way he stopped to stare outside a large observation window. He stared out at the distant planet, the mining tugs sailing through space back and forth from the ship to the planet. One bright star stood out among the others. He wasn't familiar with it but it brought back memories of the stories he had heard as a child. Stories past down from generation to generation of Quarian families, stories of their home, Rannoch.

Every Quarian knew the coordinates of their home star. It was something their parents taught them to give them a small piece of home. To every Quarian, where they came from is most important in their lives. But what about where they are going, he thought. Has any Quarian ever thought about how still, after 300 years, they are trapped in prisons they so humorously call suits? That they are too comfortable living aboard a fleet in space? If they were ever going to return home, they need to change their way of thinking first. Even he had no hope of that ever coming to pass. Being in the Migrant fleet marines, he had seen the worst and the worst of the worst the galaxy had to offer. It seemed in the end they were all doomed to...

"Beautiful isn't it?"

Feeling as if someone had taken a stun-stick to his head, he quickly turned to see a female Quarian clad in a dark, reddish-brown suit; her accent heavy but soft spoken. She didn't look back at him. She just stood there, gazing out the window with her hands laced together in front of her.

"Beautiful?" He replied quizzically.

"The stars. Don't they just look marvelous in this system?" She spoke softly.

"I suppose they do..." he answered, letting the silence resume.

"Do you ever wonder what they look like in veil? I imagine words cannot describe it." Kal held his tongue in silence as he stared out the view port, just letting her talk to herself.

"Maybe we'll live to see it in our lifetime..." Once again finding himself glancing at the stranger, Kal had an odd feeling that he had seen her somewhere before. But from where still eluded him. Not feeling motivated to comb his memories for the answer, he just stood silently and hoped she would eventually depart. After all, he wasn't in a very sociable mood.

Seconds turned into minutes with Kal continually peaking over to see if she had left but she just stood there like a manikin. His patience began to wear thin. He was slightly startled when he heard a giggle from the woman. He couldn't keep himself silent any longer.

"Something funny?" He asked plainly.

"So you can speak more than five words?" she replied, the grin behind her visor clear in her voice.

"I'm sorry, is there something you need ma'am?" He felt surprised he was able to use the term "ma'am" despite how irritable he was.

"Pardon me Mr. Reegar." Turning to him, she bowed and said, "Dr. Elan'Shiya vas Rayya. Pleased to make your aqaintance."

It finally hit him like debris from a Geth to the face. "You were at Tali'Zorah's trial...yeah...your some kind of shrink or something aren't you?"

"Psychiatrist is the professional term, but yes." replied Elan.

"But that doesn't explain how you know my name, or why you've been hounding me for the last five minutes." said the sullen Kal'Reegar.

"Forgive me, I merely wished to observe your social behavior. It is my duty after all." Social behavior? What was she after?

"And what exactly did you learn from your _observation_, ma'am."

"Your body language combined with your obvious irritability tells me you are either burdened...or just a rude bosh'tet. Regardless, I've been ordered by Admiral Han'Gerrel to evaluate your psychologal health." She stated.

Kal felt like a cornered animal fighting for its life. A psychological evaluation? Someone had to have put the admiral up to this...Vel...

Before storming off, he replied, "I guess you made the trip from the Rayya for nothing then ma'am. I'm perfectly fine."

Crossing her arms, the doctor watched the stubborn marine shove his way past the other quarians as he disappeared entering the next corridor. Shaking her head, she summoned her omni-tool and spoke quietly, "Avoidance along with extreme irritability when socialized with. Deep personal issues clear. Will continue to observe. Though this one may prove to be more of a challenge then the young Veetor'Nara..."

"Taste like Vorcha's piss..." Zaeed had been spending most of his time in the mess hall of the Neema. He had been sampling variations of Quarian wine only to be disappointed with disgust as he tasted each one. If it weren't for the mask that covered his mouth from ear to ear to prevent aerial contamination, he would have spat the vile liquid onto the table. He had yet to receive an update from the estranged Aranya on her supposed lead on Vido's location and he had grown impatient. She had better deliver results by the end of the day or else pray that he's too drunk to point a gun at her face.

As he took another sip of the foul liquor, something appeared in the corner of his eye; a tiny figure. He glanced over to be greeted by a small quarian child standing beside the edge of the table. From his perspective, the little girl appeared to be no older than eleven to twelve years of age. The fact that she wore a suit only supported his theory. The child didn't make any movements even after he locked eyes with her. She stared at him intently with her head cocked to the side and her arms laced in her lap.

"Why does one side of your face look different than the other?" The innocent girl asked, a curious expression on her face.

Of all things she just had to ask about the shot side of his face. Taking in a breath, he replied simply, "Because."

"Because what?" she inquired further, worsening his impatience.

"Because it just does." He replied.

"Because it just does what?"

"There is no what! It just does!" He said, nearly scolding her.

Barely phased by his outburst, the child paused for a moment. "...Because...what?"

Zaeed rubbed his forehead and rolled his eyes back, utterly annoyed by the curious, yet obnoxious little quarian. "Listen kid, normally I'm not a very decent bloak to be around, but you're _really _testing my limit!"

"Ivoni!" The little girl turned to the older female quarian calling her name. "Leave the human alone honey. He's really busy right now."

"Coming mother!" The child replied. Turning back to the strange human she said timidly, "Bye Mr. human." She then turned and skipped over to her mother who took her by the hand gingerly and lead her out of the mess area.

Zaeed sighed heavily in relief that the annoying brat, as he put it, had finally left him alone. He burried his face in his hands when he suddenly felt an elbow on his shoulder.

Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, Aranya said sarcastically with a smile, "You're so good with children!"

Shaking her arm off his shoulder he replied with, "Atleast they don't die around me." Upon these words, Aranya's expression turned to shame as she averted her eyes. Now he wished he had chosen his words better. "My bad darlin...so, hear from that contact of yours?"

Aranya noticeably regained composure. "Y-Yeah, my contact, a Salarian named Ish, says he's got what we want. There's a catch though, he wants 10,000 creds in 24 hours or he's passing it on to the next client. He'll be waiting for us on Omega."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for." Said the battered mercenary as he stood up. "Let's move." Zaeed proceeeded to follow her out of the mess area. Finally, he thought, they've caught up with him. Well, as long as her contact turns out to be legit. Before stepping through the door into the long corridor, a thought struck him in the back of the head. Shepard's wedding. Killing Vido was his top priority, but would he really understand if he left to pursue his course of vengeance?

"Hey!" Aranya called, "last time I looked you were shot in the head not the leg. Get moving!"

Glancing back one last time at the mess area, he whispered to himself, "Sorry Shepard..."

"OK, now—Shepard, no it goes like—oh! Just stop for a minute." Said the flustered quarian bride as she snatched his hands and set them in his lap. Sighing heavily she added, "This would be so much easier if it weren't for those two extra, uneeded fingers."

As part of the bonding ceremony, Tali had been teaching him how to say the necessary vows in quarian sigh-language. They had both been sitting on the bed in their assigned quarters for nearly an hour and the frustration was beginning to eat at her. Shepard was working to the best of his abilities to try to master each sign but found it difficult to master being that the language was meant for quarian hands. Nevertheless, he perservered. Otherwise Shala would surely follow up on her threat to castrate him should he cause her niece any humiliation at the "alter."

"Well I'm sorry the hands that so generously message your shoulders aren't good enough for you." He replied sercastically, though it came out sounding more like a tease. "I might remember this the next time you have...leg cramps."

"Oh really..." came her suductive tone with an everpresent smirk on her lips. "Then I guess I'll remember that the next time you have a craving..." She placed her hands on her hips and sensually rubed them. "For this..."

"That is totally unfair." He said using his sad puppy face to express his sarcasm.

"I know. It's the advantage of being...warm?" She paused trying to recall the human slang.

"You mean hot." Came his reply followed by a chuckle.

Tali giggled. "Your human terms are so dirty. But I think I'm beginning to like them."

Shepard smiled as he watched his beautiful bride cock her head to the side and lock eyes with him. It seemed she just got cuter with each passing day. She'd come so far from the over selfless, shy, and burdened individual she used to be and he was more than glad to see her opening up and revealing her buried feminine nature.

Sighing once again, this time with a smile on her face, she submitted, "We'll take a break for a few minutes. In the meantime you should speak with Garrus. You still need a witness for the ceremony."

Shepard was taken aback. He had almost forgotten about his need for a best man. He felt thankful for having such an intelligent bride to remind him. "You're right. He should still be down in fire control on the Normandy. I'll go have a talk with him."

Leaning in closely, he taped his forehead to her visor whispering, "Stay beautiful for me in the meantime?"

"For you? Of course..." came her quiet, soft reply. That said, he departed and embarked on his journey back to the Normandy.

When exiting the quarters, he caught sight of a familiar quarian clad in a red, armored envirosuit. Kal'Reegar waved at him as he approached.

"Captain." He greeted the human with a nod. "I was hoping I could talk with you."

"Sure Kal. I'm on my way to the Normandy. Up for a walk?" Kal responded with another nod and the two began to walk side by side. "So how have you been Kal?"

"I've been better. Still having trouble sleeping. What about you and Tali? I was hoping I could help with the ceremonial preparations." Said Kal.

"Admiral Raan seems intent on setting up the chibang single handedly. You'll have to take it up with her." There was a brief pause. "...Though somehow I feel that wasn't what you wanted to discuss with me..."

"Actually, Captain, we never did get around to discussing what happened on Ilos; with the Geth I mean." Taking a more stern tone he said, "Why did they not kill us when they had the chance? And what, or who is Legion?"

Shepard stopped dead in his tracks and sunk his head. How was he going to explain the details to a quarian marine with such hatred towards the synthetics he was cooperated with. To tell him that he is—was working with the Geth. If he were to leak the information to the Admiralty board, it could have negative repercussions with his plan to steer the Migrant fleet to aid in the coming Reaper war or worse, his marriage with Tali. Every bone, brain cell, even his very soul told him to stall; make an excuse. But he witnessed with his own eyes, the death of Reegar's squad by the hands of the now Reaper controlled Geth maybe even the entire collective itself. He owed him the truth no matter the consequence.

He took it a deep breath and straightened his stance as he turned to the expectant quarian marine; checking his surroundings as well to make sure there were no onlookers. "Please try to understand what I'm about to tell you Reegar. I promise you—no, I promise your entire race I had the best of intentions..."

Kal was surprised. Perhaps the situation was more complex than he orriginally thought. Shepard continued, "A few weeks ago I came in contact with a single Geth platform. It was inactive and intact so I made the choice to bring it aboard the Normandy for interrogation. But what I learned from it was something entirely different. The platform spoke to me. It told me that the Geth beyond the veil are actually a entirely separate faction from the original collective. These 'heretics', as it called them, were the ones responsible for the attack on the Citadel..."

Reegar was stuned by this information. He reamined silent though, so Shepard continued. "Furthermore, it told me that the Geth collective wish to aid me in the coming war against the Reapers. That day it became part of my crew. That is, until it was...possessed by Reaper energy. And you know the rest..."

Reegar placed one hand over his visor and paced back and forth nervously shaking his head. "Kal, I know this is a lot to take in-"

"Take in?" He interrupted. "You know how I—how my people feel about the Geth and you want to work with them? How does Tali feel about this!"

"She wasn't happy but she accepted it as much as I did." He replied. "Listen Kal, what I've just told you has to remain between us. You know what the consequences could be if anyone found out. Especially the board."

"For your sake I hope your 'intentions' were well worth it..." Kal turned and began to walk in the opposite direction. "Captain..."

Shepard just watched as Kal dissapeared around a corner. Whether he planned on telling the board or not remained elusive. He could only trust that he understood what he was trying to do. For the good of the quarian race, and the entire galaxy. He continued on his way to the Normandy, wondering whether he made the right choice to trust this information to one such as Kal. No matter what he told himself would not ease his conscience. Damn. He could have atleast waited until after the ceremony. Coming around a corner into the next corridor, he heard the faint sound of clanking metal causing him to turn and scan the corridor for any sign of life. Finding none, he resumed his pace, unaware of the pair or silver eyes peering around a corner.

Vel'Lara vas Rayya, feeling both nervous for eavesdropping, and shocked at the information she overheard, breathed heavily as she slide into a sitting position on the wall of the corridor. This man this...human she had heard such honor about, had been working with the Geth? The words echoed through her mind. She felt so conflicted. Should she tell someone? Alert the Admirals? It was overwhelming. Perhaps she should burry it for now. She didn't know who to talk to other than Kal. But she didn't want him to know she was spying on them. No. The best thing to do for now, as the humans say, would be to keep a "low profile."


	42. Ch42: No Rest For The Wicked

The elevator descended to deck 3 with Shepard inside. He leaned his back against the elevator wall and shook his head. Everything had gone down hill ever since he accepted that mission from the Illusive man and brought the Reaper fragment aboard his ship. That one mistake that he couldn't help but feel responsible for in some way, seemed to be the odd domino that would cause the rest to tumble. Sending them into an unfortunate chain of events. Legion's abduction, the recovered Prothean DNA, his bonding with Tali, and now if he wasn't careful, his plans of uniting the Migrant Fleet with that of the rest of Citadel space against the Reapers. He was flooded with burdens.

A soft ding and the elevator hatch slid open allowing its occupant to step off onto the crew deck. The usual banter that came with the crew members in the mess hall eluded his ears. He found it to be empty with the exception of Dr. Chakwas at her terminal in the meb lab, and Gardner cooking something with a rather inviting aroma in the kitchen; most likely a dinner meant for the ceremony for the crew members that were unable to eat the dextro foods of the quarians.

"Commander!" Gardner waved him over. "Good to see you. How's Mrs. Shepard doing?"

"She's not exactly a Mrs. yet, Gardner, but she will be." Replied the Spectre.

"Never too early to get used to saying it, commander. I always knew you'd end up tying the knot with a nice young lady like her." said Gardner.

"What gave you that impression?" asked Shepard.

"It's the natural order of life, commander. Like magnets, we're always attracted to our opposites. You like shoot, she likes to tinker. You're bold, she's timid. Together you form both halves of the puzzle and fit together perfectly. Without the other, your just half a heart." Gardner explained.

Gardner's words brought a smile to Shepard. It was moments like this that reminded him of how dependent of her he really was. That if anything were to separate them, he would surely crumble like a building without a foundation. "Thanks Gardner. That mean's a lot to me."

"Don't mention it. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know how many relatives Mrs. Shepard is gonna have at the wedding would you? I need an idea on how many to cook for." said Gardner.

"You plan on cooking for the crew and over a dozen quarians by yourself?" asked Shepard.

"Cooking for the crew is the hard part. One thing I've learned from Tali is that quarians need less sustenance than we do. It won't take much to satisfy them." said Gardner as he threw diced spices into the boiling pot.

"I'll get back to you as soon as I know. Carry on sergeant."

"That's what I'm here for, commander."

Shepard headed through the corridor to fire control, remembering his purpose for coming down there in the first place. Upon entry he noticed Garrus at his usual station most likely running...dare he say "calibrations." The tall Turian turned rather quickly from his terminal looking flustered.

"Commander, something you need me for?"

Walking over to the bench and taking a seat he replied, "Just here to ask a favor of you Garrus, a big one you might say. Everything OK?"

Garrus sunk his head. "Um yeah. Everything's fine..." Shepard simply responded with a puzzled look followed by a brief pause.

"Actually..." The Turian started. "Well, I kinda need a favor from you too. It's about my mother. I spoke to my sister, Solana, a few weeks ago and apparently things have taken a turn for the worst."

"You never told me you had a sister." said Shepard.

"We haven't spoken since I quit C-sec. But things are different now. My mother has been very sick for a long time. Corpalis Syndrome. It's a neurological disease similar to huntingtons in humans only the neural decay is quicker and...there's no cure..." Garrus explained.

"Is there anything that can help her?" asked Shepard.

"That's where you come in. The Salarians recently developed a promising experimental treatment at the Helos Medical Institute. But the cost of the treatment is more than 10 years of what my C-sec salary was. Now I know we're supposed to be modest with the funding we've collected from Cerberus, but this may be her only chance. I just can't let her suffer anymore Shepard..."

"Garrus, I'll gladly help pay for your mother's treatments. It's no object when it comes to family. I just wish you'd told me this sooner." 

"I was going to but my pride told me I should find a way myself. I've exhausted every other option. Thanks Shepard. I owe you one."

"Tell you what, help me with my favor and we'll call it even."

"It's not one of those 'if I don't make it, take care of my wife' favors is it?" Garrus asked.

Laughing a little Shepard replied, "You'll be relieved to know it isn't Garrus. I'd like to have you as my best man in the ceremony today."

Garrus rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. "Best man? Shepard...I-I don't know what to say..."

"Just say you will, Garrus. It would mean a lot to me." said the Spectre.

"Well...I'm honored Shepard, I really am. But I must humbly decline." Shepard was surprised if not a little disappointed by his answer.

"There a problem?" he asked; puzzled.

"No, nothing. I just think that honor belongs to someone else. Someone like...Joker. Besides, I kinda did see your fiance naked that time. That can't be good luck for any wedding." It hit Shepard at that moment. In all his time aboard the Normandy, Joker had always been there. He pulled them out of suicide missions that no other pilot in the galaxy could hope to. He saved the Normandy from Collector control weeks earlier. Even when he awoke after being resurrected, Joker had not abandoned him. Yes, Joker deserved this show of appreciation.

"You're right Garrus. I can't believe I just forgot about him like that. Thanks." Shepard held out his hand which Garrus took and gave a strong handshake.

"Any time, commander. I should get back to tweaking the cannons. See you at ceremony?"

"At the ceremony, Garrus." Shepard took his leave and headed to the helm to offer Joker a most deserved title.

"Halt! No one is allowed to board the shuttle without proper clearance." A single male quarian guard stated to the Asari that approached.

Aranya stepped closer to him while swinging her hips sensually. "Now is that any way to treat a lady? Are you sure we can't work out a deal?"

The guards tone grew erratic. "I-If you cannot present me with the proper clearance then you have no further business here!" The guard flinched slightly as she came within inches of his visor and began seductively tracing her finger down the center of its glass.

"Really? Well then, how about we discuss other forms of...business." With a swift tug, Aranya yanked the guards oxygen supply tube out from the back of his helmet causing him to cough raggedly and collapse to the floor unconscious. She then quickly reconnected it and ran her omni-tool over him to check his vitals. A moment later Zaeed came running down the corridor and leaned down to observe the unconscious quarian.

"He better be alive, love!" he threatened.

"Relax gramps. He'll be out for a while but otherwise he's as alive as it gets." replied Aranya.

"Good, then lets get aboard before his pals come to check on him." With haste, Aranya stepped over to the docking hatch and bypassed the lock with her omni-tool. The hatch slid open seconds later and the two ran inside; Zaeed taking his place in the pilot's seat with Aranya as the co-pilot to his right.

"You know you owe for this right?" said Aranya.

"My ass! After that stunt you pulled 15 years ago? No, we're even now darling..." replied Zaeed as he scrolled through the haptic interface and powered up the shuttle's engines.

"When are you ever gonna let that go, hon?" Zaeed turned to her, giving her a venomous glare. "Whatever...grouch..."

"Shuttle 213, you are not authorized for launch. Transmit clearance and purpose for system start up immediately." Came the voice of a male quarian operator. Zaeed and Aranya glanced at each other for a brief moment before Zaeed responded by retracting the docking clamps and simultaneously hitting the thruster ignition sending the shuttle zooming away from the Neema.

"Shuttle 213, return to dock immediately or be charged with-" Zaeed hit the mute silencing the voice of the operator.

"This better be worth it, love. I'm risking a lot trusting you again." snared Zaeed.

"I promise you this deal is legit. Besides, soon as we take that bastard down, we can go our separate ways and you'll never have to worry about me ever again."A silence filled the cockpit. Zaeed glanced at his former lover in the corner of his eye and wondered: Was this really her trying to make up for past mistakes and earn redemption? Or was this simply another chance for her to sell him out to earn another quick cred? Regardless of which way the situation turned, Vido would die. With, or without her help.

"With respect sir, I demand to know why my monthly psychological evaluation has been moved up." said Kal; hands clasped behind his back.

Han leaned forward in his chair resting his elbows on his desk. "A...source has given me reason to believe that your current mental state may have been jeopardized as of late. Therefor, I took it upon myself to reschedule your appointment."

"I assure you sir, my mental state is combat functional. I don't need to be pried open by a shrink." said Kal.

"I believe otherwise Reegar." Han replied just as the office door slid open revealing the form of Elan'Shiya stepping through. "Dr. Shiya is one of the most revered psychiatrists in the fleet and has offered her professional opinion. She believes you are indeed troubled. I'd like you to give her your utmost cooperation and submit yourself for an interview."

"Thank you Admiral." said Elan bowing slightly in Han's direction before turning to Kal. "Kal'Reegar, please do not see this as a means of discrediting your ability to perform your duty. We only wish the best for your body and mind."

"Admiral I must protest! This is but a waste of her time as well as mine!" Kal retorted.

"Squad leader!" Han shouted and stood up quickly. "I do not wish to make it an order, but if I must I damn well will!"

Kal quickly took a step back and dropped his head. "Sir, my apologies sir."

Elan walked over to Kal's side and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Please try to understand Reegar, the Admiral has provided his personal attention for your well being. You are a valued soul and soldier not just to the fleet but the Admiral himself. Please...do this for yourself."

The room became dead silent. Han and Elan both waited with anticipation for his answer. It seemed the stubborn marine was dead set on his refusal. Nearly a minute passed before a reply came.

"Where and when do you want to do this?"

"Tomorrow. My office. 1300 hours." Kal slowly turned and walked towards the door. "You made the right choice Reegar." said Elan just as the door closed behind Kal.

Tali was nervous. Their time, their celebration, their time to be bonded for life until the day they finally meet the ancestors had finally come. Just minutes and she would be walking down the isle of the plaza with her soon to be husband approaching from the other side. The feelings she experienced could be compared to that of a joyful lucid dream. She wondered if it was a dream; wondered if she would unknowingly wake up from this moment that felt too genuine to be real. She hoped she wasn't. She couldn't wait to marry this man. But at the same time, her happiness was mixed with anxiety but about what, she did not know. Shepard has mentioned a human term to describe the feeling. What was it...cool feet? She began to wring her hands as an outward expression of her nervousness. The soft voice of her aunt who had been helping her dress the only beacon to guide her out of the storm in her mind.

"Child, what are you so nervous about? You look absolutely stunning! Just like your mother." Realizing where she was at that moment, Tali stared into the large mirror in front of her and looked upon her suited self, clothed in a beautiful, transparent violet robe that fit over her suit perfectly. She had forgotten that Shala had been dressing her as she drifted into her frivolous thoughts.

"This feels wrong auntie. Being treated with royalty that no other Quarian alive has ever experienced." replied Tali.

"Nonsense, you must not be afraid to act lady like on the day of your bonding. Your father would sweep you off your feet if he could see you now." responded Shala.

"I seriously doubt that. He would be more likely to execute Shepard in public. You really do have a habit of speaking of him mildly, Shala." said Tali.

"I could say that you have a habit of speaking ill of him, Tali. Rael would have never done anything to upset a moment such as this especially for you." replied Shala.

"I just wish...he could be here...with mother..." Tali sunk her head, holding back tears as Shala stepped closer and embraced her tightly.

"He is here, child, with your mother. They're both watching you together in the hands of the ancestors and they both want you to be happy." Shala broke the embrace, holding her adopted niece gently by her arms. "This day, this moment is for you; for all you have sacrificed for the fleet. This is your reward."

Tali smiled beneath her visor, sniffling slightly to imprison the tears that so desperately yearned to flow from her eyes. "Now let us pray together and thank the ancestors for this most joyous moment. And due try to calm yourself, child. I'm sure Captain Shepard cannot wait to be bonded with you."

"Jesus, chill out commander. What are you so nervous about? You're not going through an uncharted relay with a bunch of aliens with a big ship waiting to blow you apart ya know. Just getting married."

Like Tali, Shepard was experiencing the same nervousness about the bonding. Unlike her though, he wasn't used to wearing a suit all the time. Being wedded to the woman he loved in his armor was more or less humiliating.

"You ever been married before Joker? Try it sometime. Hell, maybe I'll walk you down the isle to EDI and see how nervous you are." said Shepard with a chuckle.

"Oh you're so hilarious." Joker took on his best impression of Shepard and said, "Oh look at me, I'm Commander Shepard. The man with the hardest ass in the galaxy and silaris plating for balls. I can kill a giant human Reaper with one bullet but I can't get married without a cripple to walk me down the isle." Returning to his normal tone he added, "Yeah, I'm the one who had to fly the Normandy away from an exploding base with the fires of hell on my ass."

Shepard smirked and rolled his eyes. "I guess you have me beat there, Joker. Maybe I'll buy you a round next time we hit up Illium."

"Straight up, and don't you forget it! But in all seriousness...I'm really happy for you, commander. Congratulations." said Joker.

"I appreciate that Joker. Though it sounds strange coming from you." said Shepard.

"Awww, don't gimme that mushy, emotional stuff. I gotta admit. I never thought you'd end up with a Quarian, not like Tali anyways. Don't get me wrong though, she's pretty hot in her own little way. Can't complain about the hips or the a-" said Joker with a smirk.

Shepard turned and glared at comical pilot. "Joker."

"Alright, alright! I'm done. Keep your grenades strapped." Both suddenly heard what sounded like music muffled from beyond the room. They both knew exactly what that meant. A male quarian entered the room a moment later.

"Excuse me Captain Shepard, they are ready for you." Shepard nodded to the quarian and took a deep breath as Joker came to his side and the two proceeded out into the main corridor leading to the plaza where the ceremony had just began. The music became louder and louder the closer he came to the plaza. As he came into the main plaza, he was truly awestruck at what stood before his eyes. The room was brightly lit. Various cloth of many colors woven with Quarian patterns adorned the walls. On each balcony, Quarian musicians played eerie, yet soothing soothing music that seemed to capture the nature of the essence of their race. Female quarian dancers gracefully twirled a translucent piece of cloth in each hand as they danced around the walking path in a way that closely resembled ballet with a slight hint of belly dancing. The Normandy's crew as well as Tali's friends and family both made up the majority of the attending crowd.

The music picked up slightly causing the human to direct his gaze forward. On the opposite end of the path, the dancers parted revealing what he could only describe as an angel in the flesh. Tali approached with the most dazzling violet robe he had ever seen. Shala followed closely behind her. Even from the short distance that separated them, the two could still clearly sense the passionate fire that was building in their hearts. This was truly happening. The distance between them quickly closed until they came within arms reach and took each others hands. The two then turned and walked down the steps to the center of the plaza and approached what he suspected to be the quarian version of an alter. Shala and Joker halted on opposite sides of the steps leading up to alter and both kneeled while placing both hands over their chests; the crowd followed suite.

The couple arrived at the foot of the alter and both sat down on their knees. The music suddenly halted and started again a few seconds later in a softer tone. Tali then began the Quarian tradition of expressing vows in their sigh language. She had explained to him that because her people could not see the emotion in each others faces during a bonding, they had deemed it more appropriate to say them using their bodies; a practice taken on several years after their exile from Rannoch.

Tali began moving her hands in a variety of swift motions that symbolized each word that came from her very soul; ending with her hands resting on her chest. She then locked eyes with him and allowed him to begin with his vows; slightly nervous that he would forget the lessons she had given him. Her fears were relieved as he started with the first series of hand signs with as much precision as she had shown. After displaying the final symbol which represented unity, he too rested his hands on his chest. The music halted altogether as Tali extended a small tube from her belt. Now it was time for them to link suits thereby finalizing their marriage. Shepard slowly extended a tube from the belt of his armored suit and connected it with Tali's. A quiet hiss followed as the air in their suits became synced. They had done it.

The entire crowd arose with thunderous cheers. The couple however, seemed unware; becoming lost in each others eyes. It seemed as if reality itself had slipped away and had been generous enough to leave them their own little world with nothing but the love they shared. Tali'Zorah, would now be forever known as Tali'Shepard vas Normandy nar Rayya. Wife of Commander John Shepard vas Normandy.

In a most unexpected turn of events, the rooms lighting suddenly turned to a flashing bright red and the alert sirens began to sound. There were gasps among the crowd as well as the newly weds. Han'Gerrel, who was among the crowd, quickly summoned his omni-tool.

"Admiral Gerrel to the bridge, what the hell is going on?"

"Admiral! We've detected a Geth dreadnaught at the edge of the system! It's powering weapons!" replied the distressed Neema's Captain.

Running through the crowd, Han made his way to the center of the plaza. "Shala, we need to get to the bridge now!"

The star glowed a sapphire blue, illuminating the pitch black interior of the hidden Cerberus space station. The Illusive man sat content in his chair and felt confident that his plan would succeed. A soft beep sounded from the arm of his chair and with a few taps of the keys, a holographic display appeared before him with two words that brought him a smirk.

"Target Terminated."


	43. Ch43: Strife

(For those of you who missed my note on Ch1 and have made it this far. I plan to go back through my old chapters for thorough proof reading and spell checks as soon as I have free time from college work. Want to make it as enjoyable to read as possible for everyone. Continued criticism is appreciated. Help me make it better! Thanks!)

The two Quarian Admirals raced the bridge with incredible speed; Shepard and Normandy's crew following suite. The deafening alert siren continued to blare throughout the ship, seeming louder within the tight confines of the corridors. Many Quarian civilians scrambled to their quarters and had the group almost battling their way past them. The final blast door that obstructed their way into the bridge took longer to open than usual provoking Han'Gerrel to inaudibly curse to himself.

Skidding to a stop, they entered the Neema's bridge. It was setup over 2 floors with the Captain's chair, navigation, and pilot controls all established on an elevated platform that overlooked the lower level where fire control and other various systems lay. A large glass shield covered the front end and allowed the occupants a clear line of sight over a 180 degree view. The tip of a twin cannon mass accelerator turret could be seen outside just under the ships chin.

Han rushed over to Captain Yin'Vassa, breathing heavily from the exhaustion of the hasty journey to bridge. "Report!" Han commanded.

Captain Vassa began tapping the controls on his chair as he spoke. On the forward viewer a square shaped grid appeared, highlighting the Geth ship in the distance that orbited the closest star to the planet. "It came out of no where sir. Ladar identifies as Geth; dreadnaught judging by its size."

"Magnify!" Commanded Han. Using the same controls, the grid lines converged. Magnifying the image of the backwards arrowhead shaped ship that was nearly 2 kilometers in length alone.

"That's an Ares class dreadnaught. Heaviest battle ship the Geth possess. Captain, open a channel to the fleet."

"Keelah..." Muttered Shala.

"This is Admiral Han'Gerrel to all warships, engage and destroy Geth dreadnaught!" Turning to Captain Yin he added, "Captain, take us into firing range!"

"Keelah Se'lai Admiral." Replied Captain Vassa with his fist held against his chest. He then opened a channel throughout the ship "All pilots to fighters! Assume attack vectors!"

Pivoting his authoritative form to Shepard, Han stated. "Prepare yourself, commander. You're about to witness the strength of the galaxies most formidable fleet."

The pilots scrolled through their haptic interfaces and engaged the Neema's sub-light engines to full power. From the forward viewer they could see the distance between them and the hostile vessel close quickly. Tali looked both sides of the viewer and saw that several more warships of similar design to the Neema had formed up around them.

A muffled buzzing sound caught their eyes seconds later. From all sides dozens of Quarian fighters zoomed past them with blinding speed. It was a truly magnificent sight to behold. The glory and power of the Migrant Fleet rushing head on to destroy their mortal enemy. The most expensive action vids pale in comparison to such a show of force.

Coming back to reality, Shepard knew that with the help of the Normandy's Thanixx cannon, destroying them dreadnaught would be far more simple and save many Quarian pilots from certain death. He activated his comm link calling the Normandy. "Joker! Prep the Normandy for immediate departure! We got Geth to kill!"

"I'm coming with you." Shepard nearly ran into Kal as he turned to attempt a sprint. "No way I'm going to miss out on killing some of those synthetic bastards."

Shepard responded with a nod and said, "Lets go." And the group rushed off to the docking bay where the Normandy awaited to be taken into battle once again. Time seemed non-existent; the adrenaline making the run to Normandy feel instantaneous. They were surprised when they turned the corner down the next corridor and found themselves only a couple of meters from the only hatch that separated them from the Normandy's airlock.

The hatch slid open upon detection of their movement and allowed them clear access to the ship. They quickly proceeded inside, skipping the decontamination cycle and heading straight into the helm where Joker was already disengaging the docking clamps.

"Let's make it happen, Joker!" Turning to his crew and the new addition of Kal he commanded, "Everyone to your stations!" Garrus, Tali, and Kal all boarded the elevator and headed for their assigned stations; Tali having thrown her robe onto the CIC floor as she ran. Garrus to fire control, and Kal joining Tali down in engineering. Though a soldier, he still had extensive knowledge on starship mechanics. All Quarians do.

The rest of the crew took positions in the CIC as the Normandy's thrusters ignited and sped them on their way into the battle. Joker had instinctively patched them in to the Migrant Fleet's communications allowing them to overhear the transmissions between the Quarian warships and the small attack fighters.

"This is Vindicator one, we are engaging the enemy. All bombers weapons free. Target their engines!" Came the voice of a female Quarian pilot. Most likely the lead squadron. Looking ahead through the forward viewer Shepard could see explosions ring out all around space as well as torpedoes struck the dreadnaught causing its shields to flicker erratically. Immediately following the first series of explosions, cyan colored lasers lit up the area around the dreadnaught as they were fired from its turrets. Tiny oval shaped Geth drones the size of one man fighters began emerging from its hangers and fired their own array of laser weaponry into the swarm of Quarian attack fighters.

As they grew closer he could make out several fighters being blasted out of the sky. One colliding with dreadnaught's shield as it span out of control. On the left hand side of the viewer he could see a Quarian war frigate nearly twice the size of the Normandy pass them by; overhearing a transmission from the ship as they observed its course.

"This is the Varanoi. We are closing to weapons range. All batteries prepare to fi-" A barrage of rail gun fire from the Geth dreadnaught tore through the frigate like tissue paper, cutting the transmission short. From inside, the Normandy's crew felt the tremendous quaking of the shock wave from the Varanoi's explosion.

"Careful Jeff! We are being targeted!" Warned EDI.

"Everyone hold on to your seats! And your lunch..." said Joker through the ships intercom. Joker banked the Normandy hard to right just in time to avoid a mass accelerator beam from fired from dreadnaught. Shepard was nearly thrown against the wall from the sudden shift in the G-force but managed to hold on by the tight grip he had on the headrest of the pilot's chair.

"Might be better if you sit down, comman-" Joker was interrupted.

"Incoming!" warned EDI.

"Weapons range in 30 seconds Admiral." said Captain Vassa while looking at Han. Turning back to the pilots he said, "Charge forward batteries. Target the dreadnaught."

The Neema's anti-ship turrets all extended forward and locked on to the center point of the Geth battleship's hull as the half minute passed. "Fire!"

The inside of the ship rocked as the twin cannon turrets fired massive armor piercing slugs at the dreadnaught. The other Quarian warships joined the fight with their own weaponry. Though powerful it would take many more rounds to deplete the dreadnaught's shields. The rounds exploded as they impacted it's shields. In an unexpected move, small pyramid shaped drones emerged from its hangers and sped off toward the Neema as well as the cruisers aiding it.

"Sir!" one of the pilots exclaimed. "Geth kamikaze drones inbound!"

"Damn!" Yin cursed. "Activate GUARDIAN systems!" On the lower deck of the bridge, two Quarian gunners climbed into chairs elevated slightly above the ground. A holographic interface instantly appeared and surrounded them completely showing the targeting system of the anti-missile batteries. The two gunners opened fire once the drones came within range, watching them explode like fire crackers in the instance with each one that was destroyed. Two however, had managed to escape the overlapping fields of laser fire.

Han was nearly thrown off his feet as the two drones exploded upon contact with the kinetic barrier that protected the bridge. Were it not for simple shielding, they would surely have all been killed in the collision.

"Don't let any of them through!" exclaimed Han. Looking out the side viewer he saw the ally warship alongside them being bombarded with Geth drones. Thankfully their GUARDIAN systems were able to destroy most of them before their shields dropped to critical levels. Turning back to the battle ahead, he noted the small shape of the Normandy and hoped that this battle would not cost them the life of a hero.

"Geth drones are breaking off and moving to intercept us!" warned EDI. Five drones pursued the Normandy from behind firing their lasers relentlessly at the frigate. Joker tilted the ship left managing to avoid most of the first wave of fire but several shots still managed to hit their shields.

"Kinetic barriers at 82% and holding!" exclaimed Tali over the ships intercom. The comment was enough to motivate Joker to try something radical. He used the pitch controls to drastically pull up while at the same time cutting thrust to zero. The drones fly past them from underneath allowing Joker to quickly correct their course and target the drones.

"See how you like taking it from behind!" Joker fired a cluster of disruptor torpedoes which destroyed two of the pursuing drones. "Yeah!" He cheered. Though uplifting, it was short lived. The drone's Geth AI's quickly picked up on this tactic and mimicked it with ease.

"Shit!" Joker cursed as he watched the drones re-establish their pursuit; closing rapidly like birds of prey ready to shred their victim to pieces. Torpedoes launched from the drone's missile pods and struck the rear plating of the Normandy. Tali noted the quick drop in shield efficiency and quickly rerouted non-essential power to compensate.

"Shields at 18%! Another hit will deplete them!" Tali exclaimed from engineering.

"We can't dodge them forever!" exclaimed Shepard. A squadron of Quarian fighters sped toward the drones and decimated them in seconds. Joker watched as the blips instantly disappeared from the ladar.

"This is Bulwark one." Came the voice of a male Quarian pilot over the communication channel. "We have your back, Normandy."

Relieved to hear the pilot's voice, Shepard said over the comm, "Roger that Bulwark one. Thanks for the assist." With the drones off their tail the Normandy now had a clear path to the gargantuan dreadnaught. Its size alone struck a nameless fear in their hearts. The only thing more that could be more intimidating was a full sized Reaper. It felt as if this battle was but a trial of fire to test their resolve. But could they pass it?

The juggernaut in sight, now was the time to strike. Speaking through the intercom Garrus said, "Thanixx primed and ready!"

"Then lets show Sovereign how it feels to be blasted by your own gun!" said Shepard. Joker aimed the nose of the Normandy at the center of the dreadnaught and slammed his fist down on the fire display. The twin cannons recoiled as the intense blue beam of concentrated energy shot forward and pierced through the armor of the dreadnaught like an arrow through flesh. A large explosion, small compared the to size of ship, emanated from the ruptured hull along with the tiny shapes of Geth platforms being sucked out into space.

The dreadnaught responded immediately by firing back with its many automated turrets. Noticing the human frigate in peril, Bulwark's squadron leader said over the comm, "Bulwarks two and five, hit those turrets. Give the Normandy some cover." The two fighter pilots flew in close and with the shields of the dreadnaught now depleted from the combined firepower of the Quarian warshipss and the Normandy's Thanixx, were able to decimate the attacking turrets withtorpedoes..

"That's two I owe you Bulwark." Shepard said to the squadron's leader over the comm. "I'll buy you a round when this is over." Returning attention to the fight, he braced himself in his chair as Joker circled around for another attack.

Han watched as the dreadnaught took overwhelming amounts of firepower yet still remained operational and able to defend itself. It seemed though that the dreadnaught was not moving towards the fleet, but the planet it orbited and at its current rate of impulse, it would breach their defense perimeter in minutes.

"We have got to take that monster down before it breaks through!" Han exclaimed.

"Structural integrity at 67% sir. We're just not causing enough damage!" Replied the female Quarian co-pilot pilot.

"Wait...somethings happening." The male Quarian pilot interjected. From the bridge viewer they watched fearfully as hatch probably 50 meters wide opened on the front of the dreadnaught and a massive cannon with exotic design features extended forward.

"What the hell is it doing?" mumbled Han.

"Sir, massive power spike in the dreadnaught's reactor." said the male pilot. "9000 terawatts and climbing."

"That's impossible." said Captain Yin. "No ship that size could generate that much-"

"Look!" shouted the female co-pilot.

"I am reading power fluctuations in the dreadnaught's reactor. All the energy is being re-directed to the ships bow." said EDI.

"You might wanna have a look a this, Shepard." said Joker. Looking out the Normandy's forward viewer they could see a bright green glow emitting from the tip of the dreadnaught's cannon. Their eyes watching in awe as it grew brighter with each passing second.

"The dreadnaught's power levels have reached an excess of 9981.2 terawatts. At this rate reactor overload is imminent." warned EDI.

"That doesn't sound good..." Joker commented.

Tapping into the Neema's comm, Shepard exclaimed, "Admiral, the dreadnaught's reactor is going critical! You have to move your ships out of range right now!"

"Already on it, Shepard." Gerrel replied. "All ships this is Admiral Han'Gerrel. Break off the attack and fall back to the fleet!" With the order transmitted, all the attacking Quarian vessels slowly changed heading and flew straight back towards the bulk of the Migrant Fleet; the fighters also returning to the hangers of their respective ships. Even the Geth drones seemed to retreat and ignore any fighters they were recently attacking. Something big was about to happen.

Using the holographic interface to bring up the Normandy's rear camera, Shepard watched as the dreadnaught aimed straight at the planet with its charging cannon. "Reactor level at 1.003 petawatts. Detonation in 3...2..."

A blinding flash of green light engulfed the space around them with a brightness that would have burned their retinas had the windows not been shielded, followed by dead silence. Slowly it faded to reveal a massive beam firing from the dreadnaught and toward the planet. The impact point on the planet became surrounded by an ensuing wave of fire leaving a trail of scorched earth. Everyone, the Normandy, and the Migrant Fleet, watched with horror as the blast wave consumed half of the small planet before dying out. Seconds later the beam stopped and the dreadnaught was enveloped in a massive explosion as its reactor finally gave way under the strain of power from the super weapon.

Space came alive once again with the humming of the Normandy's engines. Seeing the wave from the dreadnaught's explosion closing in Joker alerted over the comm, "Blast wave inbound! Everybody grab on to something!"

Zaeed was wide awake laying in his cot aboard the Quarian shuttle. It was dark, quiet, and all around a perfect time to sleep but his racing thoughts denied him any rest. He had learned from countless mercenary missions that letting your guard down for a second, even to blink, could be the difference between life and death. That was exactly what coerced him into staying awake. Being aboard a small shuttle with the ex-lover who betrayed him only meters away in the cockpit, separated only by a few inches of steel within the cabin, it was unsettling. Zaeed was never one to lend people his trust, especially when it came to enemies. At least in his point of view, that's what she still was and most likely would be even after this "job."

A feeling hit him in the pit of his stomach. A feeling he could only describe as a "bad vibe." He felt the urge to peer in on Aran to make sure she wasn't brandishing a knife meant for him behind his back. Sliding cabin door open, the blue glow of hyperspace outside the viewer met his gaze. He could see the tips of Aranya's head tentacles from behind the chair she sat in. He could tell by the orange glow she had her omni-tool out and it sounded like she was whispering to someone. He could only make out a few of the words.

"He's unaware... I'll do my part, just do yours... Yes, we'll be there in less than 12 hours... "

A vengeful glare made its way upon his face. She was hiding something, he knew it. Was she planning to betray him once again? Or was he being paranoid and simply overhearing her communicating with her contact. He slid the door shut and turned around to lean against the cold steel. He crossed his arms as he drifted in thought. Would Aranya really go through all this trouble and make up such a convincing story just to deliver him into the hands of his nemesis for a few million credits? Of course she would. The bitch was a black widow by nature. A preying arachnid. One that he would squash if it dared to bite him on the back...


	44. Ch44: Catalyst

Like a stallion galloping away from a raging forest fire, the Normandy sped full throttle away from the approaching ring of fire that was the blast wave created from the destruction of the once dominating Geth dreadnaught. Staring into the aft camera display, Shepard watched as the ring of fire approached and moments later blew past them. Rattling the ship like a earthquake. A few seconds past before the g-forces stabilized allowing them free reign to move about the ship again.

"Status report!" he exclaimed.

"Multiple core systems overloaded. Cyclonic barriers offline, hull damage minimal." answered EDI.

"And the Quarians?" he asked, concerned.

"All retreating craft cleared the blast wave in time. Casualties to Geth forces moderate." replied the AI.

"Commander... you need to see this..." said Joker. Bringing up the starboard viewer display, they gazed at the devastated planet of Capek; it's surface turned to a state of fire and brimstone. Together the two stared in horror at the hell the Geth super weapon had created. The destruction was stunning, unimaginable.

"All life signs along the southern hemisphere of the planet have disappeared. I also read dangerously high levels of concentrated radiation." explained EDI as the two continued to stare at the display with their jaws dropped.

"What about the quarian mining crews? Did any of them make it out?" asked Shepard, fearing the worst.

"Negative. All mining crews were stationed near the old mech facility on the southern continent." replied EDI with a seldom sadness in its tone.

"Dammit!" he shouted as he slammed his fist down on the controls causing it to spark a little. Why did this have to happen he thought. Hundreds, maybe thousands of quarian miners all just trying to do their part to help their shipmates and families survive. Why couldn't he have saved them...

"Admiral Han'Gerrel to Normandy, Captain Shepard are you there?" came the voice of Han over the Normandy's comm.

Now broken out of his thoughts, Shepard replied, "We read you Admiral, we're alive and well. We took some damage in the fight but nothing serious."

"Copy that. We have repair crews standing by. They will be waiting for you in docking cradle 4." replied the Admiral.

Turning to Joker, he said, "You heard the man, let's get back over to the Neema and give the Normandy some well deserved TLC. And find out just what the hell the Geth did here today and why."

"Way ahead of you, commander. Setting course." replied Joker.

Still discouraged by the thought of the many quarians that lost their lives, Shepard slowly lifted himself up out of his chair. He patted his trusted pilot on the shoulder, giving him a job well done gesture, and then proceeded down the corridor to CIC. He halted just before passing the airlock when he noticed the transparent violet robe lying on the floor; Tali's ceremonial dress. Picking it up, he gently caressed the soft fabric and then began to neatly fold it in his arms. Taking it with him as he journeyed down to engineering.

"_Hell of a wedding..._" he thought to himself with a crooked smirk.

...

"Access Neema video logs, provide results showing all recorded data within the last 24 hours..." As Daro finished, the terminal in front of her automatically began scrolling through list after list of recorded logs in the Neema's systems. Several minutes later it paused with one result.

"Play recording..." The display began to play a recording of the recent battle with the Geth dreadnaught in the distance, swarmed by dozens of quarian fighters. "Increase playback speed..." The display began to fast-forward through most of the battle which held no interest to her. She only cared about one element.

"Pause recording!" The video halted at the moment the dreadnaught extended the super weapon from its forward hatch. "Magnify..." She watched as the screen zoomed in onto the cannon. It's very design baffled her. Though infused into the ship itself, the weapon didn't appear to be of Geth origin at all. She knew there was something amiss. There was no way the Geth had the technology to create a weapon with such devastating power. Speaking of power, another thing also had her at the end of her wits. The Geth are creatures of pure mathematics and would have surely predicted the overload that resulted in the meltdown of their ships reactor resulting in their defeat. So why did they fire? Was this an attack, or something else entirely...

Typing away at the terminal controls, she opened a channel to the Moreh's bridge. "Captain Jhana, I want salvage teams deployed to the dreadnaught's wreckage immediately. Have them search the area for any radiation anomalies."

"Yes Admiral, Keelah Se'lai." replied the Moreh's captain before closing the channel.

Daro leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. Were it possible, she would conceal information of any findings in the wreckage, but there's no way she could make a cover story for sending heavily equip salvage vessels into the area. She would be forced to share the information, but it still may yet work in her favor. She still had another agenda to fulfill...

…

_Every night the dream was the same. A simple blackness at first. Unable to feel, hear, and speak. But then it all comes into focus. Six apparitions materialized around him, all wearing the colors of the Blue Suns mercenaries. His instinct was to fight them off but they all surrounded him and proceeded to restrain him. He continued to struggle only to find that his physical strength was not enough to force his men off of him._

"_You had to know this was coming..." He knew that voice. He'd recognize it anywhere, even in the most distorted transmission. Vido Santiago. His former comrade emerged into existence from the hallow darkness; a predator pistol in hand. He had relived this scenario a hundred times. He knew what was about to follow._

"_Wish I could say it wasn't personal, but then I'd be lying..." Vido came closer, stopping at arms length and then raised his pistol, aiming directly at Zaeed's right eye._

"_See you in hell, Massani..." A flash of light was the last thing that eye would ever see..._

Zaeed awoke from his dream anxious and covered in sweat from the reminiscent nightmare. No matter where he slept or what kind of sleep medication he took, it always ended with the same dream, the same memory.

"Bloody hell..." he mumbled, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Was he condemned to relive the worst moment of his life forever? To see nothing but the face of his nemesis every time he closed his eyes or sighted down a weapon? Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, the only chance he had at ending his suffering would be to take vengeance upon the man that betrayed him and stole the very essence of his life. Vido Santiago.

"Hey, Zaeed." Came the voice of Aranya over the shuttle's intercom. Rubbing the dryness from his eyes, he didn't think to respond.

"Hey! One-eyed willy!" She yelled over the intercom, trying to get his attention.

"Shut the hell up you bloody Azure bitch!" he retorted.

"Goddess, to be believe I used to let you kiss me with that mouth. Anyway we're 2 minutes out from the Omega Nebula so you might wanna get off your wrinkly old ass and get up here." she said.

"On my way." he replied sullenly as he climbed up and out of his cot. Reaching under the cot, he slid out his armor and began suiting up from head to toe with the last piece being his pistol and holster. The light of the helm shone through the rusted cracks in the door as he stepped over to open it and exited the cabin.

"Sleep well?" she asked in a way that said she already knew the answer as he took a seat in the co-pilots chair.

"Well, I didn't wake up handcuffed to the bed with my trousers down. So yeah, I'd say just dandy." he replied.

"Aw, you know you'd like it!" she said with a devious smile.

"You wish..." he said while rolling his eyes back. Aranya began to laugh before a beeping sound interrupted her and she turned to look at the console in front of her.

"Disengaging FTL drive..." she said as the warped waves of hyperspace cleared revealing the normal void of space with the giant asteroid space station of Omega, domain of Aria T'loak, in sight. "Course plotted to Omega... Initiating docking sub-routines. Just sit back and enjoy the view."

"Huh... Omega... Ass hole of the galaxy. Ripe with the stench of Batarian armpits and road-kill Vorcha. Come here a hundred times on missions and still haven't gotten used to it. Takes me back to a Salarian smuggling operation we were contracted to provide security for. Was going smooth as first until Batarian pirates boarded the Salarian's ship and massacred half the crew. Damn near lost my whole squad that day-" He stopped to look at Aranya who was snoring with her eyes closed and giving the impression that she didn't care.

"I'm talking to you ya' scale itch infested whore!" he yelled which only managed to provoke hysterical laughter from her.

…

"I warned you this would happen! Your so called covert operation provoked an attack that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of our people!" The voice of Zal'Korris vas Qwib-Qwib echoed through the corridor.

"Will it never end..." Tali said to herself as she proceeded through the corridors to the Neema's briefing room while walking alongside her husband.

"Whatever they're going on about, I plan to put a stop to it. Many innocent quarians died today and this isn't the way to mourn them!" Shepard agreed.

They rounded the corner to see a single door at the end of the next corridor; the entrance to the briefing room. All the while the heated arguments of the quarian admirals growing louder as they came closer.

"It's because of the ships under my command that many more of us are still alive, Korris! I don't recall observing the Qwib-Qwib offering assistance when the Varranoi was destroyed!" Han's voice retorted.

They entered the Neema's briefing room to find the quarian admirals arguing amongst themselves while all standing around a holo-projector in the center of the room. All except Shala who stood beside the entrance with her hand covering her visor, obviously losing all hope in the rest of the admirals. She noticed Shepard and his wife enter the room and shot them a brief glance before turning to the other admirals.

"Quiet!" Shepard shouted. The admirals' heated arguments did not cease, however.

"Silence you bosh'tets!" shouted Shala. The room finally became silent at her outburst. "Go ahead Captain Shepard." she finished, looking at the couple.

"I know a lot of your people died today and I can understand why you feel so eager to direct your hate at one another, but right now we owe it to those mourning families to cooperate and find out just what happened today. Otherwise their deaths were in vain. Now... Has your intelligence gathered anything on the Geth attack?" Shepard asked, stepping forward.

"Captain Shepard. As a matter of fact, we have. Come closer." Han proceeded to access recorded data on the Geth dreadnaught which displayed in a 3D image above the projector as he continued. "We know that the power surge that resulted in the reactor meltdown that ultimately destroyed the dreadnaught originated from the super weapon they fired at the planet..."

"Forgive me for interrupting Admiral, but I have extensive knowledge of Geth technology and I've never seen any data suggesting that they could create a mass accelerator weapon with firepower of that magnitude. Where did it come from?" asked Tali.

"That's an excellent question, Tali'Zorah-" Zal said before being interrupted by her.

"Tali'Shepard, Admiral Korris." she replied, putting emphasis on 'Shepard.'

"-Miss Shepard..." Zal cleared his throat before continuing. "At first we did suspect that the weapon was of Geth origin, but the efforts of Admiral Xen have proven otherwise. Admiral?"

Daro tapped a series of buttons causing the projector to change to an image of a piece of twisted metal. "This is debris we collected from the dreadnaught's wreckage. Reconstructive analysis reveals it to be a fragment of the super weapon." She tapped another button making the projector display detailed information about the debris in quarian text. "As you can see, it's irradiated beyond decontamination with a form of radiation unknown to our scientists..."

"So we're dealing with technology more advanced than anything the Geth normally possess?" interjected Shepard.

"Correct." replied Daro.

"There is something else that is rather...disturbing." said Shala.

"Although we have no name for this form of radiation, based on collected samples from the planet, our scientists have been able to match its signature profile with trace elements collected from only one world in the galaxy..." Zal said, using the projector controls to bring up the image of a familiar, scared planet. Klendagon.

"Klendagon. The Great Rift valley?" said Tali, puzzled.

"Are you saying that weapon was the same thing that created the Great Rift valley?" asked Shepard, fearing the answer.

"Precisely. But that's not the worst of it." said Han as he brought up images of the planet the fleet was currently orbiting; still burning from the destruction the super weapon had caused. "I had thought that the Geth's attack pattern was odd, but my advisers have confirmed my suspicions. It didn't quite make since that the Geth would attack with a single dreadnaught against a dozen of our best warships, or that they used the weapon on the planet instead of our fleet where they could have inflicted many more casualties. This led me to one conclusion. That this wasn't an attack, but a test, maybe even a warning..."

"What remains elusive is how the Geth acquired a thirty-seven million year old doomsday device..." said Zal.

"They are being controlled by a Reaper. It makes perfect since that Sovereign would use his knowledge to dig up something like this to compensate for not having his Reaper body this time around. " Shepard concluded.

"If Sovereign was willing to destroy the weapon in order to test it, then I think it is safe to assume that he has come in possession of more than one. Every populated world could be in danger and have no way of defending themselves against such a weapon." said Tali.

"There must be some way of tracking these weapons before they're used again." said Shepard.

"I believe there is a way. With a few adjustments to our sensors, we can use the weapon's radiation signature to detect any Geth vessels that may be armed with it within the borders of an entire star cluster. With your permission, commander, I can have a team make the same modifications to the Normandy's sensor array and any probes you may be carrying." said Daro.

"Granted. As soon as our drive core is back online, we're going hunting."

"But John, even if we manage to find one we won't be able to take on another dreadnaught with just the Normandy. Much less probe the entire galaxy." said Tali.

"Agreed. We'll have to inform the council and enlist the aid of the Citadel's Fleet. I'll prepare the Normandy for departure to the Citadel and speak with them personally." said Shepard.

"Very well. If there is nothing else to add, this board meeting is hereby adjourned. Keelah Se'lai" said Shala.

As the other admirals exited the briefing room, Shala led Tali and Shepard to the corner of the room to speak with them. "This is very unsettling. I had thought the fleet would remain safe and secure as long as we avoided the veil. I was wrong..." said Shala.

"Worry not, Aunt Shala. We'll do everything in our power to prevent another massacre." replied Tali.

"You have my word on that, Admiral." interjected Shepard.

"You are both taking a great risk. I regret that such an unfortunate event has befallen us on the day of your bonding. But I know that the love you share will give you both the strength to quell this threat without further incident." replied Shala.

"Commander, a quarian shuttle is requesting permission to dock in the cargo bay to upgrade our sensors." came the voice of Joker over Shepard's comm link.

"Let them in. I'll be there in a few minutes to supervise." deactivating his comm, he said to Shala, "We should return to our ship and make preparations for the trip."

"Be safe, auntie." said Tali, leaning forward to warmly embrace Shala.

"And you, Tali. Keelah Se'lai." she replied.

"Keelai Se'lai." Both Shepard and his wife said before heading back to the Normandy.


	45. Ch45: Devotion

"Professor, I need to speak to you." said Shepard as he entered the Normandy's tech lab.

Mordin fumbled with his terminal at his desk without having the decency to make eye contact. "Not good time, commander. May have stumbled across evidence proving existence of particles beyond sub-atomic level. Could explain origin of life-"

Shepard felt that he would succumb to a severe headache at the sheer complexity of the Professor's excuse. Maybe he would find it interesting any other day, but this was hardly any other day, and he had something far more important to discuss with the Salarian genius.

Interrupting before the professor could dive into a marathon of babbling, the Spectre said, "First of all, remember that you're talking to someone with an IQ equal to half of yours. Second, I want to talk about the Prothean DNA."

"Prothean? Aw, yes. Sovereign employing use of ancient technology. No such knowledge exists in individuals of current date. Seeking possible knowledge of defense against weapon from Prothean?" the hyperactive Salarian quickly assumed.

"You practically read my mind. We're going to need any data from any source about this kind of technology if we hope to counter it, maybe even mount a defense against it." Shepard said in reply.

"I agree. Catalyst weapon powerful. Cannot possibly destroy dreadnaughts without use of large fleet. More subtle approach necessary, yes." Mordin urged.

"So..." The Spectre walked over to the desk and stared down at the glass container filled with bio-nutrient fluid that was preserving the tiny skin cells that made up the base of the aged alien DNA. "How long will it take for it to grow?"

Lifting his head to finally make eye contact, the professor started, "Have run simulations to determine growth cycle. Normal gestation rate approximately two—three years-"

"Three years?" Shepard interrupted, sounding slightly shocked.

"Please allow me to continue, commander." Clearing his throat, Mordin continued. "Have synthesized rapid growth enzyme to accelerate growth cycle. Should fully mature into adult stage in two—three days. Will remove enzyme once subject reaches acceptable age." he finished with a satisfied smirk.

"Now that's more like it. Good work, Mordin. Be sure to have EDI inform the crew of our decision. Wouldn't want to see them making for the escape pods when that thing starts roaming around." replied the Spectre.

He about faced and walked into the CIC. About half a dozen quarians worked furiously on the different system terminals. A female lay on her back with nothing but her lower waist and legs visible as she fiddled with the wiring underneath the command platform. Two males assisted each other in installing new circuit boards in the tactical control terminal, and four others seemed to be journeying back and forth from the Neema to the Normandy, carrying cases of the equipment necessary to upgrade the Normandy's sensors. In the middle of all this, Tali, his beloved, intelligent wife, stood at the top of the command platform supervising each of her kin's tasks.

For a while he just decided to watch her as she become lost in her element. Tali knew every system—every piece of hardware down to its nano-modular chipset. She was an exceptional engineer in every aspect. The knowledge of any starship's mechanics came natural to her. She could read the inner workings like a book. How such a mind could fit in such a tiny skull, he would never know.

For the most part she was very patient and soft spoken when it came to instructing members of her people. Tali showed leniency to any brother, sister, or friend of hers she knew to be competent. When it came to guiding the Salarian technicians on the Citadel, however, she had more than once been ready to take a plasma torch to their faces. He couldn't blame her. After all, how many Salarians does it take to repair an engine manifold? Anyone without common knowledge would probably guess one or two, but Tali was close to blowing an O2 filter when she saw that it took five of them. Those "Fickle, impatent-minded, primordial, reptilian, bosh'tets," as she put it, wouldn't know how to screw in a diode without the aid of a demonstration vid.

Temporarily relieving herself from her duty, she looked at him from the platform as she shifted her weight to her right leg and placed her right hand on her hip; striking a pose.

"Enjoying the view, commander?" She asked with a smile, knowing full well his answer.

"That all depends on what you're referring to in my view, honey." he replied with an equally affectionate smile.

"So now we are on a basis of referring to each other using the names of food condiments?" She said sarcastically as she descended from the platform towards him.

Chucking he replied, "No, no. It's an expression human couples use to-"

"I know what it means you silly bosh'tet!" she laughed, nudging him in the shoulder.

Shepard crossed his arms while wearing a defeated smile. "Why is it you can learn everything about humans yet I can't find the meaning of 'bosh'tet' after staying up all night on the extranet?"

Tali giggled and closed the distance between them. Bringing her helmet within inches of his face as she placed a hand on his chest. "Allow me to make a proposition, commander."

"Oh?" he uttered excitedly.

"You return to our cabin and prepare a romantic dinner, and once I'm finished here, I'll join you and tell you exactly what a bosh'tet is." she whispered softly.

"You know exactly what motivates me." he replied, rubbing his hand along her slender arm.

"Do an exceptional job, and maybe I'll requisition a... 'special' item for you..." she whispered, this time with a seductive tone.

"See you soon, honey." he replied letting her gracefully pull away from him and return to her supervisions.

After stepping into the elevator, something occurred to him. He had been so bewitched by her charming flirts that he forgot to even ask how she was dealing with the loss of the thousands of quarians that perished in Sovereign's attack. It made him feel insensitive. Was she thinking less of him for not asking about her well being? Or was she simply trying to drown out the thoughts by focusing on the fact that they were now bonded for life? It made more sense to consider the later, but he still thought he should speak of it with her later just to be sure. After all, it is a husband's job to care for his wife's emotional health.

...

"Name please?" asked the sullen batarian standing just outside the entrance of the Afterlife nightclub.

"Two hundred creds says me and my partner can be anyone on the list." replied Zaeed, slyly passing a credit chit to the batarian doorman.

"So it does. Welcome to Afterlife. Start any trouble and you'll be sped on your way to the real thing." retorted the batarian, sliding the credit chit into his pocket.

"Your house, your rules, mate." Zaeed responded, slipping past the batarian with Aranya and into the corridor.

It didn't take long for the two to reach the next door which opened to the display of the never ending den of sin that was Afterlife. Patrons of many species naturally decorated the open bars with the sounds of slurred conversation and the smell of expensive liquor. A couple of Asari exotic dancers sensually moved about the centre platform as their bodies flowed in perfect sync to the rhythm of the music; it's heavy bass enveloping the entire room and seething through the bones of all within the club. A light haze, probably from the excessive smoking of the patrons, blended almost elegantly with the red hues that reflected off of the metallic walls.

Feeling someone nudge him in the shoulder, Zaeed turned to Aranya who said, "Let's find our man." to which he responded with a nod.

The mercenary veteran and former Eclipse lieutenant made their way around the platform overlooking the 1st floor and proceeded into the corridor leading to the lower level. Several patrons shared drinks and idle conversation at the few tables that were placed around the room. A single Salarian stood in the far corner, wringing his hands anxiously. Aranya, recognizing Ish from their previous transmission, walked over to him with her former lover following suite.

"Not exactly what I had in mind when I said somewhere private." Aranya said to the Salarian.

"In my experience, the most conspicuous is often the most inconspicuous." retorted the impatient Salarian. "Do you have my payment?"

"Do you have our information?" Zaeed interjected.

"Indeed I do. I assure you it is valid and I went through a lot of trouble to come across it." replied Ish.

"Well then, don't keep us in the dark, lad. Let's see it." said Zaeed.

"I think not. Either I receive my payment up front, or I hand this datapad over to the next buyer." Ish insisted assertively.

"What's to stop us from just taking it?" retorted Aranya, griping her holstered pistol.

Taking on a smug expression, the impish Salarian answered, "Only I possess the necessary encryption codes. The data is encrypted with a level five algorithm so don't bother thinking you can crack it yourself!"

Sighing, Aranya shot a brief glance at her former lover, Zaeed, and sighed sullenly. "Alright, two-hundred thousand credits as agreed." she said slipping him a credit chit.

"Here are the codes. A pleasure doing business with you, my friends. Now if you'll excuse me..." Ish said, handing her the datapad and a small drive containing the codes before he began to walk away.

Turning to Zaeed, she gave him a wave of her head to relay a silent suggestion. Quickly, he spun around and connected the barrel of his pistol to the Salarian's lower back causing him to instantly lose his smug composure and throw his hands up in submission.

"W-what do you think you're doing?" Ish nervously stammered.

"Relax, mate. Just gonna make sure this information was worth the trip. Ain't that right, love?" he finished glancing in Aranya's direction.

"I-I assure you the data credible! W-What reason would I have to deceive you?" asked the trembling Salarian.

"That's what we're going to find out..." replied Aranya. Connecting the small drive to the datapad, she began the decryption sequence. Moments later the device confirmed its completion and revealed the data which she in turn examined thoroughly.

"Huh..." she uttered.

"What is it, love?" asked Zaeed.

"Change of plans..." Before he could inquire further, she stepped over to the Salarian, drew her pistol, and fired a single shot into the back of his skull. Ish's body dropped to the floor like a limp ragdoll with his dark green blood spraying forth from the exit wound in his forehead.

"The fuck are you doing!" he exclaimed, shocked by her actions.

"Just shut up and follow my lead! The data-" she was interrupted by the sound of an unfolding rifle.

"Hands where I can see em!" a batarian shouted. The couple turned to see a tall batarian as well as two of his kin and a turian all with their rifles drawn and aimed in their direction.

"Anto. Long time no see, mate." Zaeed said to the tall batarian that was Anto.

"Messani? I told you to never show your face here again!" retorted Anto.

"I'm a bad listener. Sue me." Zaeed retorted back.

"Smart ass human! I'll fillet your ass for-" The turian, who they had noticed was listening to his communicator, quickly interrupted the angry batarian.

"Hold on, Anto." Stepping forward, he said to the two, "You two got a date with Aria. Move it!"

…

Shepard lit the candles set up on either side of the table. One, two, three, and four. Finished, he stood up and admired his handy work.

"_I would've been a great waiter... Not that I'd trade any of this for it." _he thought.

The setup was perfect. A hot plate of spaghetti in meatballs for himself on one side of the table, and a steaming hot, sealed bowl of what was the quarian equivalent of chicken soup on the other. Though simple, it was a delicacy to quarians, being that most of what they ate was a bland paste. Four candles were lit around the corners of the table and several more were placed about the room. Something was missing though...

"_Right!"_ taking a small vase and placing it in the center of the table, he set a row of exotic, violet flowers in it. He had managed to acquire a few from the Neema's hydroponics bay just before the wedding. The botanists told him they were native of Rannoch although they weren't one-hundred percent pure being that they were genetically grown. Still, it was a lovely aesthetic that Tali would appreciate nonetheless. For drinks, he poured himself a glass of expensive whine that Kasumi had been so generous to provide him with, and for Tali, a simple quarian equivalent.

A soft chime from the cabin door startled him. Telling him that someone was asking for permission to enter.

"Lights, forty-percent brightness." The room's lights slowly dimmed letting the room grow darker. The blue rays of light from the fish tank added a colorful hue that set the perfect romantic atmosphere he had hoped for.

"Come in." he said aloud so that whoever it was would here. Though he had a pretty good guess as to who it was.

The door opened and in stepped Tali'Shepard vas Normandy. Though probably exhausted, he could tell by her composure she was excited. He approached her with an ear to ear smile.

"Evening, Mrs. Shepard." Turning to the table, he outstretched his hand towards it. "Dinner is served."

With a giggle, she took his free hand and let him lead her to the table. "How thoughtful." she said with a smile of her own.

Both sat down on the couch beside each other. Sharing a warm embrace and an affectionate stare before turning to the dishes laid out before them. Both picked up their drinks and glanced at each other.

"To new beginnings..." he said lovingly.

Tali giggled. "And may the Reapers cower before us." she added as the two tapped glasses.

While Shepard began scooping the noodles into his mouth, Tali connected an extended tube from her helmet to the port on the sealed bowl and began sucking gingerly; letting the warm, tangy soup flow into her mouth. While chewing on the tiny bits of meat that came with each mouthful of soup, she turned to her husband to watch him suck a single noodle that hung from his lip into his mouth. She laughed at the spectacle which succeeded in provoking a laugh from him as well before the two went back to their own delicious meals.

Shepard scooped up another chunk of noodles and opened his mouth to prepare for the coming delight but froze as a thought occurred to him.

"Tali, honey..." he said softly.

Tali gulped down another mouthful of soup and licked her lips clean before answering. "Yes John?"

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Of course I am. The maintenance team will be finished installing the sensors in a few hours and then we will be ready to depart." she answered, trying to sound oblivious.

"Tali, are you sure there's nothing bothering you?" he said, prying for an answer.

"John, I am perfectly well. You know that." she replied.

"Tali, thousands of your people died today. I know how close quarians are with their kin. If you're hurting, you can talk to me." he said softly.

Sighing, she sunk her head and explained, "John, I do feel for their loss. It would be impossible for me to not feel something. I grew up with loss so, as insensitive as this my sound, I've grown used to it. Pirates raids have destroyed more than their share of our ships. Besides, you are forgetting that this is our day of bonding. A day of days, our day. I am aware of the seriousness of the current events. But I am not going to let some bosh'tet Reaper destroy the happiness we should be sharing on this day!"

For a moment he watched the silver orbs that were her eyes behind her visor with a frown on his face. Seconds later, his frown slowly curved into a smile and he said, "You're right. Whether it be the galaxy, or our wedding, we can't let them win... I love you..."

Smiling in return, Tali retracted her feeding tube and then began unsealing her helmet. Laying the visor on the table, she leaned in and let her lips gently connect with his into a soft, loving kiss.

He watched her slowly back away with a smile on her face and said, "You taste much better than my dinner."

She giggled in response and said, "I have an idea..." She slowly stood up. "How about we skip dinner..." Guiding her hands to her hips, she began to sensually caress them. "And go straight to desert..." she said with a devious expression on her face.

"You know for a quarian, you can be very naughty sometimes." he said, his cheeks burning red in arousal.

Admiring every curve, every feature of her angelic, lithe form, he watched as she strolled over the bathroom saying, "I'll be right back. Don't you dare go anywhere!" He could only nod absentmindedly.

He waited anxiously as Tali performed whatever she had planned in his bathroom. He felt his entire body go numb as his mind raced with both passion and desire. He hadn't been this nervous since their first joining before entering the Omega 4 relay.

Feeling his breath quicken, he decided to save time by unbuckling his belt and tossing it aside as the seconds past.

Tali finally emerged from the bathroom and walked down the steps into the living room of the cabin so that her husband could observe every corner of her body. Shepard himself, was stunned to see her wearing nothing but the lingerie she always wore under her suit. It wasn't often he had the chance to see the full aspect of her lush quarian body. She was petite with wide hips and a very thin waist. Her arms were slender and her legs were toned and firm.

"Whoa... You look..." He tried to get the words out, but his expression was enough to let her know how engrossed he was in her beauty.

Approaching him with exaggerated swings of her hips, she said to him, "It would be difficult to perform with the added weight of my suit..."

"And...what would that be?" he replied as she reached over to caress the side of his face.

"Did I ever tell you that I can dance?" she said stifling a giggle.

"No...you didn't..." he replied, still dumbstruck by this new side of her.

"Well my dear husband..." she walked over to his terminal and inserted a small data drive. "Tonight, I dedicate this dance for you. Do try not to stare at my buttox the entire time..."

Tali proceeded to the center of the living room. Seconds later, the same eerie yet soothing music that played at their wedding began to fill the room. Tali began her act by dropping to her knees and arching her back sensually as she performed a series of fluid motions with her hands before quickly rising to her feet and bursting into a ballet-like dance.

Twirling and jumping, she was truly a sight to behold. Her light weight, especially without the burden of her suit, gave her a freedom of movement unlike any other. Shepard felt as if he had found the meaning of life; an emotion that few would ever feel. Overwhelming affection, passion, and desire all swirling around in his head and working their way down into his heart. The moment was beautiful, majestic. If a tear should drop down his eye, he would feel no shame over it. For the happiness he felt drowned out all else.

She danced her way toward him as the music slowly died down before fading from existence. Leaning forward, she slowly, sensually straddled him from where he sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around him. Shepard in turn did the same and pulled her into a long, heated kiss. One that drove them as close to suffocation as possible before they broke away. They gazed into each others eyes, he into her luminescent silver ones, and she into his sapphire orbs. No words needed to be said. Their minds and bodies were in perfect sync. They each knew exactly what the other wanted.

As she hungrily dove in for another passionate kiss, she guided her arms down to his waist and furiously ripped his shirt off. She admired every pit of his strong abdomen muscles with each caress of her hands and then again guided her hands to his waistline and slowly began to pull off his lower garments. Shepard in turn proceeded to do the same to her as they prepared to endure yet another night of love of pleasure. One that would be well worth another fever on her part...


	46. Ch46: Leaving

Slow and steadily, Zaeed and Aranya were lead up the steps. Rifles of various design were pointed at their backs the whole way, though neither felt the slightest tinge of apprehension. Dodging bullets was an occupational hazard for a couple of former mercenaries. Others would see it as a dilemma, but the two knew that things could always be worse.

Aria T'loak, notorious dictator of Omega, stood in front of the furniture near the edge of the balcony as they climbed the final step to what some would call her 'throne' or what passed for one at least. The ruthless asari stared out at the large holographic display of dancing asari strippers with her body pivoted slightly to the right and her arms crossed just below her chest.

The two shared a confused glance at one another before turning back to the asari dictator who remained as motionless as a statue.

"Well..." muttered the ragged voice of a very old krogan sitting on the furniture that went unnoticed by the two until he spoke. "So these are your guests for the night, Aria?"

"It would seem so old friend," replied the asari with her trademark mischievous tone. "Though I rarely have guests so openly willing to discharge weapons so close to my person," she said remaining motionless.

"I found these two together. There's a salarian down stairs with half a head," said Anto before shoving the two closer to Aria.

"Then I guess you better get someone to clean it up, am I right?" Aria said to the batarian, turning her head to the left so as to see him in the corner of her eye.

Clinching his needle-like teeth, he replied with in inaudible growl, "Yes, ma'am," and then waved for two of his men to follow before heading back down the steps grumbling silently to himself.

Finally turning around to face the captured couple, Aria uncrossed her arms and smiled saying, "Zaeed Massani, haven't seen you around these parts for some time. Nice to see a not so familiar face around here.

Knowing just how ruthless the asari was, he fought back the temptation to make a witty comeback for her comment on his scarred face. "Feeling's mutual, darlin'. Sorry bout' the mess. My friend here goes through ammunition like she does guys' hearts," that remark earned him a deadly glare from his estranged asari partner.

His comment struck a chuckle from the asari dictator before she said, "You haven't changed a bit Massani. I always preferred you being the one tugging on the Blue Suns' leash. I've had to step up my security considerably over the past 20 years because of your old business partner."

"That makes two of us, love. That's actually why we're here," he replied.

"I know, I figured as much when I realized it was Ish your friend shot down there. He is—was quite the established information broker on Omega. Besides, how else were you going to get my attention?" replied Aria, shifting her weight on her right leg.

"Well, it wasn't exactly my idea." he said giving Aranya an angry glare.

"Well, you gotta admit it worked out alright," Aranya replied, matter of fact.

"SO FAR. We still got a little more talkin' to do, Aran!" he snarled back at her.

"Relax, you did me a favor by killing that bastard... So anyways...now that you have me..." said Aria as she turned around and sat down on the furniture, crossing her right leg over her left. "What would you like to discuss?"

Prompted by the asari's question, Aranya immediately stepped forward saying, "We came here to buy some information on the whereabouts of Vido Santiago from Ish, but it turns out he was vague on the fine print. The data said _you_ have what we need."

"Whether that pitiful salarian actually knew I did or simply assumed it, he was correct. The Blue Suns account for more than half of the underground traffic here on Omega. I've had more than a peak at their operations. As I've told many: nothing goes on here without me knowing it," said the asari dictator, finishing with a smug grin.

Planting one foot firmly in front of the other, Zaeed took on a stern expression and tone. "We need to know where he is!"

Surprisingly, his demand invoked laughter from Aria. The ruler of Omega, smiling, turned to her krogan companion sitting across from her and said, "Well, Patriarch, it appears humans truly are as lame witted as they say."

"Indeed," the old krogan replied to her while keeping his gaze on the two. "You disrespect the rules of Afterlife to force an audience with Aria herself, and then you make your demands without first offering a benefit in return for her services?" the krogan asked, his eyes fixed on the human bounty hunter.

In a shocking turn of events, Zaeed quickly pulled a concealed pistol out of a hidden compartment on his grieve and aimed for the Omega ruler's head. The four batarian guards along with Grizz, the only turian in the room on Aria's payroll, in turn pointed their guns at the human with their fingers tight on the triggers of their weapons. Ready to execute him without hesitation if Aria should so desire.

Zaeed was unflinching even with so many weapons upon him. "I'm not playin' your bullshit today, darlin'! So here's how it's gonna be: you can open that pretty mouth of yours and let the words I wanna hear pour out, or I'll carve your face till it looks worse than mine!" he said venomously.

Aria didn't so much as furrow a brow, much less blink an eye. Her krogan companion seemed a little surprised but without fear in his eyes.

"Just what I've been looking for..." she spoke. Zaeed kept his rifle aimed between her eyes as she rose and stepped closer. "Aggressive, determined, no fear of death... don't fuck with me I won't fuck with you attitude..."

"What are blabbin' about?" said the bounty hunter as he narrowed his good eye.

"I'll tell you what I know. I'll even give you a small army to hunt the bastard down," she started.

"What's the catch?" he retorted, knowing the answer would be something most displeasing.

…

_A thick red haze fell over his vision as the fleeting images blurred before his eyes. Visions of pain, suffering, and ultimately death accompanied by an all too familiar feeling of hopelessness and inevitability. A feeling that had only one word to speak of in his heart: doom..._

_Men and women, not human but alien with tendrils that protruded from their faces, either ran from the approaching chaos, or simply fell to their knees and prayed as their fate, determined before they were even spawned into existence, swallowed them up in a fiery blaze._

_The images began to overlap faster and faster, all the while a faint heartbeat filling his ears growing louder in perfect sync with the speed at which the images passed before dying out all together and being replaced by the image of an alien embryo; the faint heartbeat now like a deafening drum..._

He awoke surprisingly mildly in a cold sweat, somehow having resisted the urge to jump up from the couch. He darted his open eyes slowly around the room while keeping his body motionless, only to be reminded by the familiar cabin that the visions were nothing more than a vivid nightmare he'd thought long gone since the events that had taken place two years earlier.

His senses slowly crept back to him allowing him to feel the warmth of the slender arm lazily draped over his chest with the three-fingered hand attached to the end of it on his shoulder. He looked down to see his wife's naked, sleeping form cuddled next him; her leg wrapped around one of his own and her head nestled into his neck. A small smile spread across her supple lips as shallow breaths escaped her nostrils and warmed his chest with each continuing exhale.

He listened quietly and heard her small heart beat. Though shallow and soft, it beat with a strong sense of contentment that could only result from the deep sense of safety his presence gave her. Back-tracking his thoughts for a moment, he realized the heartbeat he had heard in his dream must have been coming from her. Or at least that would be the comforting conclusion to a disturbing train of thought...

With a heavy sigh he felt the last of his unease vanish and his muscles relax allowing him to slip back into sleep, but before he could shut his eye lids all the way, Tali began to stir with a slight moan and lifted her head up to look at him with sleepy, half-open eyes; the smile still spread on her lips.

"Hi..." she said before yawning deeply.

Shepard smiled at the innocence in her voice. "Hey there. I didn't wake you did I?" he said half concerned and reached out to stroke her cheek with his index finger.

"No. I slept wonderfully..." she sighed lightly then noticed the bits of sweat formed around his forehead. She knew they're love making had been somewhat...intense, but was he really that overworked from it? "Are you well? I didn't keep you from sleeping did I?" she asked with equal concern as she opened her eyes fully.

He had a passing thought of including her in his sudden onset of visions, so much like those he experienced only when communicating with the Prothean beacons, but decided against it. She had enough on her plate right now without having to worry about some frivolous dream of his. Instead he'd go with her assumption.

"I don't mind. It was totally worth it. You were incredible..." he said stifling a chuckle.

With a hint of a giggle, her smile widened and she replied, "Speak for yourself. I can honestly say that I am thoroughly...satisfied..." she finished using a teasing, seductive tone.

Hearing such openness from her made him laugh. "You're such a naughty little minx!" he replied.

Tali drew herself back and gaped her mouth wide with a gasp. "I'm naughty? You've probably done all sorts of perverted things to all the human women you've been with! I saved myself for you," she leaned back on the couch and crossed her arms, faking a pout.

"Well I didn't hear you complaining when I put my years of practice to good use tonight," he said, grinning wide.

Tali gasped and jabbed him in the shoulder, barely containing her giggling as she did so. Both laughed heartily before he responded by pulling her down onto him for a soft, long kiss. When they broke, Tali rolled off of him and both sat up next to each other on the couch, Tali leaning her head on his shoulder as they did with her eyes closed and her heart filled with a deep sense of contentment and safety.

Sighing, Shepard snaked an arm around the back of her neck and laid it to rest on her shoulder as he looked out through the 'moon-roof' just above their bed and stared out into the vast void and contemplated the beauty of it's design.

"Tali?" he asked after a minute of silence.

"Yes, John?" she replied in a sleepy voice.

"What do you believe?" Tali craned her neck back and looked at him in puzzlement. "About life, existence...everything? Who or what created the universe and what happens to us when we die?"

She thought about his question for a moment, letting her eyes drift around the room while she tried to come up with an answer. She gathered her semblance and explained as best she could.

"Well...most quarians believe that the universe was woven into existence by the deity, Keelah. And we believe that when we die, our spirits travel to the afterlife to become part of the collective body of our ancestors, and that they will always watch over us and protect us in dark times," she replied.

"What about you?" he asked.

"It's what I grew up with, the only faith I've ever known. I suppose I have no other choice but to accept it..." she was silent for a moment with her eyes trained on the floor before turning to him and asking, "And what do you believe in, John?"

Keeping his gaze on the stars, he said, "I've always considered myself a skeptic, but in all honesty, I really don't know... Part of me says that there can't be a God. Why else would he let something as evil and twisted as the Reapers silence trillions of lives every fifty-thousand years. Surely existence has to be the result of the an accident. But then I look deeper. It was something Ash told me once and I think she was right. The universe, in all it's complexity, is too perfect to be the result of an accident..."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Let me put it this way... When two individuals wish to leave a matter to chance, they flip a coin. Chance dictates which side that coin will land on and ultimately determine the result. But in order to have chance, there must be a coin. The same principle applies to life. In order for the universe to be born, something has to give it that chance. To conclude this illustration, God must provide that chance..."

He turned his head to see her staring at him in bewilderment. "At least...that's what I figure makes the most sense," he added with a brief smirk

She laughed and he grimaced in confusion. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing, I just...never knew you had such insight on faith," she replied, shifting slightly from where she sat.

"I have insight on lots of things..." he paused momentarily and traced his eyes up and down her body before gaining a sly expression. "For one thing...I know you're ticklish!" Like a varren pouncing its prey, he dove on top of her and began tickling each side of her neck furiously. She squirmed and laughed uncontrollably while trying to slip out from underneath him.

"John, s-stop!" she strained to say between breaths. He ignored her pleas, however, and continued in his tickle attack.

"Tell me what a bosh'tet is!" he said, his cheeks straining from his wide smile.

"S-stop it you b-bosh'tet!" she almost yelled in reply.

"I asked for a definition, young lady!"

"A-alright, alright!" she finally gave in, if only to stop the tingling for a few seconds. "Oh keelah..." she sighed with her hand on her chest, feeling her heart rate slowly calm. "A bosh'tet is..." she crept away from him carefully before answering, "You!" Laughing heartily, she leaped from the couch and dove onto the bed, grabbing the bed sheets and quickly throwing them over herself in a futile attempt to hide from him. To her surprise, he didn't follow. She crept under the sheets to the edge of the bed and peaked her head out to see him grinning while rolling his eyes and shaking his head at her adorable display.

Seeing that he had given up his pursuit, she slipped her upper body out from under the sheets and propped her chin up on her hand using her elbow for support. Both stared back at one one another, each with their heads tilted slightly with a small smile. Unfortunately, reality wouldn't allow them to slip away into each others eyes before...

"The quarians just finished installing the new sensor array, commander. EDI needs another hour or two to run a diagnostic to make sure everything's in working order so you might wanna gather the crew before we set off," said Joker over the Normandy's intercom.

Shepard sighed lightly, "I copy that, Joker. I'll be down in a few minutes," he replied, noticing that Tali had rolled onto her back groaning in annoyance at the disturbance.

"I wish time would simply stop for everything but us..." she said with a fain of disappointment.

"I'll be sure to add that to Mordin's to-do list," he replied laughing.

Walking over to the foot of the bed, he bent over and kissed her, her face seeming upside down from his view, and then patted her on the shoulder saying, "Come on, the sooner we set off, the sooner we get to pick up where we left off."

That said, Shepard stepped over to the nightstand near his side of the bed and opened it, slipping on a pair of briefs before continuing with his Cerberus uniform. Tali too began dressing, starting by grabbing the lingerie tossed on the floor at the foot of the couch and then heading into the bathroom where her suit lay in a crumpled mess. While she took her time dressing in the bathroom, Shepard decided to check his private terminal for any important updates, whether from the admiralty board, the council, or Liara, there was usually always something that needed his attention. This time he was mildly surprised to find an encrypted message from the council waiting for him. Strange since they usually contacted via haptic interface projection. Nevertheless, he would be glad to humor them.

A quick input to confirm his identity and the text appeared across the screen. He wasn't even ten seconds into reading it before his eyes widened in horror and his mouth gaped.

"John, could you help me with the back-straps?" asked Tali as she climbed down the steps and approached him, the upper portion of her suit hanging loose from the sides of her waist. Shepard was silent, turning to her slowly after a moment. "John?"

"Get dressed and power up the drive core, we're leaving." he said hurriedly.

"What? What happened?" she asked, terror sinking into her voice.

He seemed to tone her out as he opened the intercom and said, "Joker, prep the engines! We're leaving now!"

"Hold up, commander! Most of the crew still aren't back from the Neema yet," replied Joker, sensing the tension in his commander's voice.

"Then call them back!" he snapped before quickly regaining his sense of discipline. "Just get it done," he added before closing the intercom and hurrying to the cabin door.

"John, you're scaring me," Tali said, trying to remain calm despite her husbands sudden onset of rashness. She struggled to assemble the last pieces of her suit as she stumbled up behind him before he quickly turned to her.

"There's been an attempt on Anderson's life. They can't risk saying anything more on a unsecure channel. We need to get there ASAP!"

…

The crew was already scrambling to their stations when he stepped out onto the CIC with Tali in tow. He quickly jogged over past the galaxy map and ran up into the corridor, stopping at the airlock doors. Only seconds past before the doors unsealed and his team sprinted in one by one. He performed a mental headcount, keeping track of who came aboard as each ran in.

"_Miranda...Thane...Garrus..." _he halted his train of thought to wait for the next expected crew member to enter but no one did. He double checked with EDI anyway. "EDI, is everyone aboard?"

"Negative, Zaeed Messani and Aranya T'konis have not reported in," the AI replied.

His instinct was to immediately use the communicator. "Zaeed, Aranya, we depart in five! Where the hell are you?" maybe they were simply ignoring him out of mutual spite, but he still expected a reply. "EDI, track their signals. Find them." EDI's reply came almost instantly.

"I do not detect their bio-signatures anywhere within a two kilometer radius. However, the Neema's database records an unauthorized shuttle departure taking place only three minutes and eight seconds before the ceremony."

Damn. He'd had a nasty prick in the back of his mind about that asari since bringing her aboard. Why the hell would they abandon the mission with no explanation?

"Seal the airlock. Keep an eye out for any activity on the extranet but for now...they're on their own..." thought it felt partially like abandoning two of his crew members, their current mission took priority and any trouble those two heathens got into were their own problems.

* * *

_A/N: The next chapters will pick up in pace a bit. If you've enjoyed reading up to this point, please review! Your reviews, critical or not, are always appreciated! Thanks!_

_~Mozer_


	47. Ch47: Work to do

They departed immediately after having the crew accounted for and giving their condolences to Admiral Gerrel and the rest of the board. Shepard had made an offer to transport one of the admirals to represent the Migrant Fleet before the council, pleading for them to seek protection under the Citadel Fleet, but they were quick to decline. Saying that the council made it clear how they felt about the quarian people when they abandoned them to the geth 300 years earlier. Only the passive Shala'Raan was reluctant to voice her opinion.

The spectre made sure to keep everyone occupied in their duties the entire way. Shifts were doubled to keep the Normandy 110% combat ready in case of an unfortunate geth intercept. Due to the sensor diagnostics having to be run in-flight however, most of the core systems had to be run at half efficiency to compensate for system lag. Another few hours of dock time would have allowed them to make the necessary preparations, but the thought of Anderson dying, or possibly already dead, drove him nearly over the edge. Assassinating a citadel councilor was quite a bold move for a simple group of anti-human radicals.

During his rounds he checked up on Mordin to see the progress with the Prothean specimen. He was shocked to find that it had already grown into the fetal stage in the few hours since Mordin had synthesized the enzyme. Furthermore, the salarian genius had told him that, by the end of the day, the fetus would ultimately be nearly out of the infant stage of life. It was amazing to watch. Though something seemed familiar about the fetus. It seemed to look something like the image in his dream. Strangely coincidental it seemed, but further investigation had to wait.

Arriving at the citadel, they were met with a small C-sec security team at the docks who had been given strict orders to secure their passage to the citadel tower where they would be further informed by the three remaining councilors themselves. When they reached the tower however, they were lead beyond the meeting chambers and into a small, safe-house like room. Shepard was lead into the next corresponding room while his companions, Tali, Garrus, and Miranda, were all told to wait in the previous room. Apparently they didn't quite trust his choice of company he thought.

Upon entering the next room, the c-sec officer exited and locked the door behind him. Leaving the spectre alone. Three holographic projectors stood lined up against the back wall with a small terminal in front. He stepped up to it and activated it which quickly brought up the images of the three councilors on each corresponding haptic projector.

The asari councilor was the first to speak as usual, trying the hide the grimness in her tone but failing utterly. "Commander Shepard, we're glad you could make it. We have...grim matters to discuss..."

"I received your message and came as fast as I was able. I understand someone has made an attempt to assassinate councilor David Anderson?" he replied.

"Attempt is hardly the word I would use...I'm sorry, commander, but we couldn't risk this information over sub-space communications..." said the salarian councilor, his eyes drifting to the floor.

Shepard quickly picked up on the unease in the salarian's body language as he spoke and asked, "...What is councilor Anderson's condition?" the answer he received was half expected.

"It pains me to inform you that councilor David Anderson died before receiving medical attention," the turian councilor, Velarn, interjected.

The spectre turned noticeably pale. Looking down at the floor he shut his eyes and clenched his teeth hard in anger and sorrow at the cold realization of the loss of his oldest friend and mentor. It took him a moment to regain any resemblance of himself, the councilors each glancing at one another with mild pity in their eyes while they awaited a response from the silent, grieving spectre.

"Commander Shepard?" the asari councilor dared to speak.

"Who did this..." came his reply in a small yet venomous voice. The asari turned toward the salarian councilor prompting him to explain.

"We currently have no leads other than the weapon that made the kill to point us to the party responsible for this attack. Our sources are investigating known organized crime and terrorist cells. The nature of the attack itself suggests those involved with anti-human groups. We will know more once the weapon has been examined..."

Councilor Velarn then interjected once again saying, "Until we're certain that this threat has been neutralized, or convinced otherwise that there is no potential threat to us as well, we've all been transported to separate, secure locations. Commander Shepard, we want you to personally oversee this investigation and track down the individuals responsible for this plight. We've already seen to it that you have all the council's resources at your disposal. Use any means necessary to bring the culprits to justice!"

"I'll do everything in my power to ensure your safety and find the people responsible for this atrocity!" he stated heartily and authoritatively.

"Very well, is there anything else you wish to report, commander?" asked the asari.

"I'm afraid there is ma'am. There's been an incident involving a geth incursion in the Titan Nebula..." Speaking slowly to allow the information to better soak in, he began recounting the events prior to their departure from the Migrant Fleet. To further support his claim, he uploaded the data directly into his terminal which then was sent to each transmitting councilor. Each examined the Neema's recorded video footage of catalyst weapon being fired at the planet as he continued to elaborate but he felt that his words fell on deaf ears when the mouths of each councilor suddenly gaped all at once upon seeing the devastation the firepower of the weapon inflicted. For a brief moment he wondered if the fear plastered on their faces was fear for the lives of the galaxy, or fear of watching their comfortable establishment crumble. Given his past experiences, he figured it was the later.

"Goddess..." the asari councilor murmured as she planted her hand over her mouth.

"The threat is very real councilors. How such technological prowess was obtained, I know not. Neither do I know if the geth possess more weapons identical to this one. However, with the assistance of Migrant Fleet's admiralty board, we've determined that the weapon leaves strong traces of a unique form of radiation in its wake. In this data I've included the necessary scanning frequencies to allow detection of such radiation in case the geth are covertly planning another surprise attack of this magnitude."

"I will forward this information to the bulk of our fleet in the surrounding clusters immediately. The geth will not have at us as they have the quarians!" said councilor Velarn holding up a clenched fist.

"And I will contact the STG and order scout ships to probe the outer rim of the galaxy," the salarian councilor agreed with a nod.

"Then it is settled," the asari councilor interjected. "The council will direct its efforts to the defense of the surrounding star systems while Commander Shepard discovers the conspirators behind the assassination of Councilor David Anderson. Shepard, what has been disclosed here will not be spoken of to civilians ears or any individual outside of your crew. Is that Understood?"

She didn't need to tell him twice. He knew of the uproar and social unrest that would occur among the citadel's human population should they learn of the death their beloved councilor. "Understood councilor..."

"Very well. This meeting of the council is hereby adjourned..." a moment after her last word the projections of each councilor flickered out of existence, leaving the spectre alone in the quiet confines of the small safe-room once again.

He slowly stepped over to the heavy tritanium door and hesitated to knock for the guard to let him out. Now he would have to explain to his team the death of their fellow comrade and what they were up against for the time being.

Summoning what was left of his drained courage and hope, he pounded on the door twice and the door hissed loudly as the seals retracted before it opened slowly. His companions were waiting for him in the previous room, all seated except for his quarian wife who was pacing back and forth nervously with her arms crossed before she noticed him and halted altogether. Even behind the purple veil of her visor he could see the questioning, worried look in her silver eyes and on the barely visible features of her face.

"Shepard...?" she uttered as he stepped into the room. She had agreed to only use his last name in public. Addressing him by John was a right reserved to her only for the time they shared among no others. Just as he reserved the right to call her "Ms," - or rather - "Mrs. Zorah," in private.

Garrus rose from his seat, prompting Miranda and Mordin to do the same. Each asking overlapping questions as they approached him.

"What's the word?" asked Garrus.

"How is Anderson?" Miranda questioned.

"Must know results of congregation," Mordin asked in his unique manner.

The spectre took one look in each of their eyes, staying longer on Tali's silver ones as he tried to find the right words. He was aware that his discouragement was ripe on his face but made no attempt to mask it as it seemed futile with what they had to do next. He only said five words to sum up his whole conversation with the council...

"We've got work to do..."

…

"_Karma's a bitch." _That's what Aranya told him when he accepted Aria's terms.

Slumped back in his seat next to several of Aria's hired guns, Zaeed grumbled to himself silently. Across from him, on the port side of the shuttle, was another identical row of seats with more of Aria's soldiers sitting and fiddling with their rifles.

It seemed like the perfect opportunity. Make a deal, find Vido, kill him, and then it'd be back to Shepard. Unfortunately her end of the deal meant that he would willingly serve as her personal bounty hunter until she decided otherwise. It wasn't what he and his companion had hoped for, but that's the problem with plans; they never go exactly the way you think they will.

Hearing the loud click of a loaded weapon, he glanced up briefly at Aranya who was seated across from him and looking over her Incisor sniper rifle. She took one look through the scope and then turned to wink at him slyly. He responded by rolling his eyes in annoyance and took one last look at the rest of the soldiers before dropping his head once again in deep thought.

At least this wasn't the worst case scenario he could think of. After all, Aria wasn't kidding when she said she'd give him a small army. There were a dozen men in his shuttle not including himself, Aranya, and the pilot. Two other shuttles also followed in formation with an equal load of troops; Anto and Grizz each commanding their own platoon. He had all he we would ever need to penetrate any Blue Suns' defenses and make his way to the kill.

It still seemed too convenient for the dictator of Omega to lend so much hardware without a second thought. She had explained that Shepard had once brought her data confirming that the Blue Suns had planned to assassinate her and garrison what was left of her establishment. It sounded like a convincing explanation for the most part, but how did she know whether he would fulfill his end of the bargain and not just flee half way across the galaxy? Of course he probably wouldn't anyway since she'd most likely put a price on his head so high that he wouldn't be able to take a leak without a motion detector, but there was always a chance, and he still wasn't sure if he wanted to take it or not.

Nevertheless, regardless of what happened to him, Aranya, or his deal with Aria, one thing was certain. Vido would die by his hand whether there was a God who gave a damn or not. Karma really is a bitch, but it runs both ways. In this case, Vido's way.

A sudden lurch told him that they must have just come out on the other side of the mass relay into the Fathar system. The human pilot confirmed his assumption, yelling from the pilot seat, "ETA to Lorek, seven minutes. Grab your gear and stow your fear people!"

This was what he truly lamented over from his days in the Blue Suns. Leading a squad of ruthless scum bags into firefights that usually wound up with him as the soul survivor. He found it truly exciting. Much more exciting than any solo bounty work he had performed in the last 20 years. He would truly be in his element here and become an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

Zaeed rose from his seat and sauntered into the cockpit, leaning on the empty co-pilots chair. The planet Lorek to grew larger with each passing second in the vast distance of the void ahead. The planet itself was no stranger to hospital life. The asari had colonized the world nearly 300 years ago before the Batarian Hegemony attempted to drive them out but ultimately failed. Since then pirates have never been able to take the world for themselves; the Blue Sun's however, have become an unknown exception.

He kept his eyes on the planet as he said to the pilot, "Take us down near the cold pole. We don't wanna attract attention from those LOMACs." LOMAC was short for Low Orbit Mass Accelerator Cannon. A large ground based defense turret capable of splitting craft in low orbit around a planet in half using a highly focused, long range particle beam. Probe data from Aria T'loak had revealed that the Blue Suns' headquarters had at least two of them within the base perimeter. Apparently Vido was more prepared than he thought.

He had already laid out, and briefed the entire team of their plan before departing from Omega. Zaeed and his platoon of freelance mercs would infiltrate the base on the largest continent by foot and disable the LOMACs to allow safe deployment of troops from the other two shuttles. From there they would clear out the remaining resistance and take Vido...dead or alive.

"Best get strapped up back there. Turbulence is gonna be a bitch," the pilot said as he briefly glanced over at the gruff bounty hunter. Not arguing with the man's suggestion, Zaeed jogged back over to his seat and pulled the chest brace down over his shoulders to hold him in place. The lights in the shuttle suddenly turned red followed by a repetitive beeping sound, prompting the other troops to do the same. It wasn't but a few seconds later that the shuttle began to rock slightly from the turbulence of the planet's atmosphere. The more they descended, the worse the turbulence got until at last they found themselves in the clear.

The shuttle descended from the clouds and flew low over a rocky peninsula. The pilot quickly noticed a small ridge surrounded by several large rock formations that would provide sufficient cover and decided that it would be the best place to set down.

Inside, Zaeed found himself ready to jump right out of his seat at the suspense of the event. This was his time to shine, his moment of glory. Just a few more seconds and...there. He felt the ship jump slight as the landing struts touched the ground. With a flick of a switch from the pilot, the chest bracers folded up and the exit ramp lowered to the ground.

"Alright blinks, scum suckers, and mother fuckers..." he said like a true hardened leader with great enthusiasm which earned him a smirk and rolling of the eyes from Aranya. "Lets move it out!" The platoon began to disperse down the ramp in a slight disorderly fashion that would have provoked him into shooting one of them had they been Blue Suns mercs under his command back in the day. Zaeed took up the lead in front of the squad turning left and right quickly while sighting down his rifle to check the perimeter of the landing zone. Not a thought passed through his mind as he went into 'combat mode' It was only pure instinct and experience.

Seeing that the immediate area was clear, he waved for the platoon to follow and began shouting orders. "Bravo team flank left! Charlie team cover the rear! Don't let any of those buggers crawl up our arses! Aran, take point!" With a sly wink, Aranya unfolded her SMG and jogged hastily to the front of the platoon about 20 meters ahead to provide better security should they run into an ambush unannounced. Zaeed couldn't tell exactly how far they had landed from the Blue Suns base due to the towering rock formations that obstructed his line of sight, but he made an educated guess based on his sightings before landing that they were at least 10 miles out. It would be a hell of a journey, but worth it to avoid being disintegrated into tiny bits of powder by those orbital guns.

They were fifteen minutes into their journey now. Zaeed had done his best to keep Aranya in his sights should she need to signal them of any imminent danger. He could see them coming to a cliffs edge up ahead and saw her walk over to the edge before she quickly dropped to a prone position and held her right fist in the air to signal them to halt. Eyes widening in alarm, he mirrored her action to the platoon and waited till they came to an abrupt stop before he slowly approached her, dropping too to a prone position and crawling over to the edge of the cliff next to her.

She was looking through a pair of binoculars when he crawled up next to her. "What do you got?" he asked in a whisper.

"See for yourself," she replied in an equally low voice and passed him the binoculars. Using the zoom feature he saw clearly the outpost that lay on the road 400 meters ahead on the lower flat lands. The steep rocky hills it was built in between prevented any way around it. Blue Suns troopers, armed to the teeth, guarded it from left to right.

"Checkpoint. I estimate a single squad for defense. Won't be able to flank it with no cover down there," she thought out loud next to him.

"Any tactical advise, love?"

"Just one..." Reaching behind her back, she unfolded her Widow Anti-Armor, high velocity sniper rifle. "I won't be able to take them out all at once, so you'll have to jam their radios," she added, screwing a large suppressor on the end of the barrel. He nodded and turned back to look at the rest of his squad, waving them over cautiously.

One of the freelancers must have overheard their conversation because he approached with a small box shaped device and with the help of a batarian, began arming the jamming device. After flicking several switches they turned and nodded toward Zaeed who mirrored the action to Aranya.

"Only got a few seconds before they realize things are too quiet and compensate frequency to bypass the jammer..." she said as she brought the rifle in front of her, adjusting the scope before aiming down the sights.

Slowing her breathing, she relaxed and took in the surroundings of the checkpoint. "_Four troops...four shots..._" she thought and took a deep breath as her cross-hairs came to rest on the head of the first trooper standing on the side of the road.

"_Nighty night..._" she thought and squeezed the trigger letting the first shot loose. The intense recoil bruised her shoulder as it kicked back but she was unaware, watching as the merc's head exploded and the three others began to panic and run for cover.

She quickly realigned the cross-hairs on the next target with precision like a true ace. BANG! The merc took the shot in the kidney and tumbled to the ground as his side exploded in pain. Another split second and she dropped the third with a shot through the neck that nearly decapitated him. The fourth began running back towards the gate in fear but fell forward as the final shot went through his upper spine and pierced his heart before lodging into the soil beneath his corpse.

Aranya smiled wide at her victory and glanced at the smoke rising from the tip of the barrel of her rifle before turning to Zaeed. "Well will you look at that... Poor bastard. I think I broke his heart," she said mischievously with smirk. Zaeed rolled his eyes back and shook his head, unable to contain the small smile that leaked out onto his lips as he waved the rest of the team over.

* * *

_This chapter has probably earned me some hate. But I promise something good will come out of it! Just keep reading and if you have the time, grace me with your reviews. Thanks!_


	48. Ch48: And you are?

**_A/N: _**_So sorry for the wait folks. Work, School, yada yada yada. Yeah, I hate me too. xD_

* * *

After having the startling revelation of Anderson's death revealed, the spectre returned to the Normandy to inform the rest of the crew as well as recuperate from the mental shock of the sudden and very unexpected tragedy. Growing up on the streets of New York, running with the notorious anti-alien gang known as the Reds, Shepard neither knew his father very well nor did he have the desire to. He had never told a single sole, not even his newly wedded wife, that he had always seen Anderson as the closest thing to a father he ever had, and now he was gone. Snatched from his life by who so arrogantly believed their crime would go unpunished. He swore to himself silently, that when he found the man, women, or people responsible, he would make their lives worse than the hell he was going to send them to. To make things worse, the council would not even allow a proper funeral to be held until the guilty party in question was brought to justice, and who knew how long that would take. His body was going to sit rotting in a cold morgue while the council erected a bubble of lies and a sense of false safety to uphold their precious establishment. Maybe there would be panic and even rioting, but no one deserved to have their loved one's body stored away like old meat in a refrigerator. Especially not now when closure was needed so desperately.

Two hours passed before he decided that it was time to head out once again. He stood in his cabin's restroom, leaning over the sink in front of the mirror. He sighed mournfully as he slowly brought his gaze up to see his reflection glaring back at him. His face was red with anger and his teeth gritted tightly. He felt the sudden need to break something, anything for a temporary release. He threw his fist into the mirror, not shattering it but successfully leaving a cracked crater in the center along with at least a dozen tiny shards embedded in his knuckles, though he barely felt the pain or the blood that tricked between his fingers. If anything he imagined that it was the blood of the one responsible for his friend's death.

He proceeded to gather his team once again and journeyed with them to the C-sec office to speak to executor Pallin on the current status of the investigation. Miranda volunteered to stay and do her best to keep crew morale up while Mordin continued observation of the Prothean fetus. Well, it wasn't really a fetus anymore. In the several hours since their arrival, it had rapidly accelerated its growth rate and entered its child-hood years as Mordin put it. Already he could note the bone-thin arms and legs growing from its slender form. It also had an oddly long neck that looked like it could still grow a lot longer. It was rather majestic in a sense. They were the first beings in over fifty-thousand years to see a live Prothean, even better, they had the incredible privilege of watching several decades of its life pass by in a mere 72 hours! He began to ponder what it would be like, it's personality, what kind of food it liked, even though Mordin had already confirmed that it was a dextro based life form. Tali would soon have two sets of germs to watch out for.

Just before exiting through the airlock, Thane jogged over an offered to serve as a replacement for the two benched crew members. The spectre accepted without hesitation, knowing that the drell's knowledge of the Citadel underground may come in handy in combing the presidium for clues. Furthermore, the drell assassin had a son to check up on. He had informed the commander of the message he received from Kolyat, explaining how his son had recently been admitted into C-sec in the months that followed after his arrest. When Bailey spoke of Kolyat's remaining time in community service, he didn't mention that it was C-sec training he was undergoing. Kolyat probably had insisted that he keep it a secret so he could inform his father on his own and receive the affirmation he desired. Maybe the young drell would even have some insight on investigation.

"Remind me what we're doing here again?" asked Garrus as the group strolled down the corridors to the executor's office.

"If I'm leading this investigation, I'll need to know everything C-sec knows about the case so far. Pallin is going to give me that info," Shepard replied.

"I doubt he's very warmed to know that a Spectre is taking over his investigation, and a human spectre at that." It was a known fact that Executor Venari Pallin was not fond of spectres. He'd made that very clear to Shepard in person two years earlier.

"He'll live, I'm not going to let his trivial, political views interfere with MY investigation."

Maybe it was the tone of his words, or something she noticed in his body language, but Tali could feel a bitter aura emanating from her husband. The way he walked, head hung low, shoulders forward, fists almost clenched, there was anger and hatred seething deep down within him. Anger at the loss of his friend, hate for those responsible. She absentmindedly looked down at her two-digit hands, nervously wringing together. Shepard was bottling all his emotional stress up and she was afraid to find out what would happen if he let it out on the next person to cross him.

Moments later they stood in front of the executor's office. With a simple wave of his hand, the door hissed open. Upon entering however, he, as well as his companions, were surprised to find a very different occupant at the executor's terminal. He was human. Dark skin, tall from the looks of it, around six-foot two maybe. His hair was buzzed to a very short length, with the exception of a much thicker beard. He was obviously short on manners too because he didn't even bother to look up from his terminal and greet them, though it was clear he was aware of their presence by the look in his eyes. He spoke with a deep, guttural voice that added an intimidating air about him.

"Commander Shepard, bout' time."

The spectre shared a puzzled glance with Garrus and Tali before replying, "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been acquainted. I was expecting Executor Pallin."

"Venari Pallin is..." the rough looking man slowly stood up from his seat, revealing that he was much taller then they originally thought. He must have been at least six-foot four or five. His muscles rippled through his clothing. Perhaps his most outstanding feature was the cybernetic arm that ran halfway down his upper arm and all the way to his equally complex cybernetic hand. "...deceased. I'm his replacement, Executor Theodore Nidas."

"You're human?" Garrus spoke up. The human executor's face grew rather vile at the turian's obvious statement.

"That's right, skull face," he said venomously. "Why? Does that...offend you?"

"No sir, your mouth is the only thing that offends me...sir," the turian added out of spite upon seeing the executors expression turn rather sour.

"You keep strange company, commander. I guess the massacre of Shanxi wasn't in any of your history books?"

"Humans were using the mass relays without authorization, we took it as an act of war and had no choice but to act!" Garrus retaliated.

"And thousands of our colonists paid for you skull face's war mongering with their lives!"

"When I'm finished with you, you won't even have a skull!"

"Stand down, Garrus!" Shepard intervened before turning to the executor, eyes narrowed into a glare. "As for you, executor, what company I keep is my own damn business. You can like it not but either way, my authority exceeds far beyond yours."

Nidas' eyes looked as if there were drilling lasers into the spectre. His forehead wrinkles bulged and his lips twitched in anger. The spectre was almost surprised he hadn't given himself an aneurysm with that look. Several seconds later he regained his somewhat disciplined composure and said, "Indeed it does..." he then stepped closer until he was almost within arms reach of the spectre.

"So...commander, what can I do for you?"

"On behalf of the citadel council, I'm taking over this investigation. You and your men report to me and me only now," folding both arms together, Shepard asked, "What's the status of the investigation?"

"We still only have bits and pieces of evidence..." the human executor said as he lead them over to his desk. Taking a seat in his chair, he quickly accessed the terminal and brought up security footage of the assassination from several different camera angles. Using his index finger, the executor selected a camera that gave a view from behind Anderson and his escort as they approached the old Krogan monument.

"Councilor David Anderson was meeting with Krogan delegates from Tuchanka when the shot was fired..." The footage began to play at the point where Anderson was struck by the shot. The spectre had to muster all his inner will to not look away from the screen as blood sported from the councilors back and he fell flat on his face. Immediately the c-sec escort surrounded the fallen councilor as the air was filled with the screams of frightened civilians. "He took it through the cervical vertebrae, poor bastard was dead before he hit the ground." Thane, upon observing the footage closer, noticed that one of the c-sec escorts was a drell. Kolyat. He'd know the color of his son's scales anywhere. "The shot was taken from the seventh story balcony of the Planar Hotel, here," he said, changing the camera angle to get a view of the hotel balcony. A faint trace of a cloaked figure could be seen at the edge of it. "The suspect in question used a high powered anti-armor rifle to make the kill. As you can see from looks of the cloak and precision of the shot, this son of a bitch was no amateur."

Tali then interjected saying, "It sounds like the work of a highly organized terrorist cell. Probably an anti-human group."

"That's what we've got our minds set on," Tali was almost surprised to receive a more compliant tone from the executor than Garrus did. Judging by his appearance and metal arm, she guessed he was a veteran of the first contact war. It would make sense that he was less than cooperative with turians. Apparently he had no beef with quarians. "Although, we were a little flabbergasted when we found that the perp' had left the weapon at the crime scene," scrolling through several screens, the executor brought up an image of the weapon. "An M98 Widow."

"Interesting," Thane finally spoke. "It would take a master of stealth to avoid detection from the elevated rate of citadel security during that time. The very tactic is consistent with that of a professional. However, speaking from experience, I can say that no trained killer would risk leaving his tools of destruction behind."

"Let's not argue about our apparent fortune just yet, Thane," the spectre turned back to Nidas. "Have you recovered any trace evidence from the weapon?"

"It's being analyzed at the c-sec crime lab as we speak," replied the executor.

"Good, I expect to know your findings yesterday."

"You'll know when we know, commander," he couldn't help but ponder, after witnessing the footage of the murder, what had become of his friend. He owed Anderson his respect and felt it would help to ease his mind if he could see the body. He was an emotional mess deep down as it was already. He had to lighten the burden somehow; to feel even the smallest touch of peace. Anything that could potentially allow him to remember that it is justice he must bring about on the perpetrators and not retribution.

"Executor, I would like to pay my respects to the late councilor. Where is his body being held?"

"In the academy morgue, I'll contact them and make sure you're given the proper clearance as well as all the time you need," the executor replied.

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse, I'll be on my way," the executor gave a firm nod to the spectre before the group sauntered over to the door, Shepard suddenly halting in the door frame.

"Something else, commander?"

"Yes, how was it, exactly, that Pallin was killed?" asked Shepard.

"Pallin was discovered to be in possession of incriminating documents linking him to enemies of the citadel. A C-sec captain by the name of Armando Bailey, now Commander Bailey, confronted and neutralized him when the former executor refused to be taken into custody."

"Then I suppose I should consult with Bailey immediately."

"That would be ideal, if you manage to locate him..."

"What do you mean 'locate'?" the spectre asked, turning to face the executor.

"Commander Bailey went AWOL shortly after the incident. We suspect he's involved in the councilor's assassination plot. So if you do find him, bring him in. And one more thing, the two krogan delegates are being questioned in interrogation, you may want to pay them a visit first. They were right in the middle of the whole incident when it went down."

Reluctantly nodding to the human executor, the spectre and his companions gladly exited the executor's office. Nidas certainly held a firm prejudice against aliens, turians in particular it seemed. Judging by man's expression, voice, and the steam that practically came from his ears at the sight of Garrus, Shepard guessed that Nidas must have been a veteran of the First Contact War. The cybernetic limb only helped in confirming his suspicion. At least he had the decency to be modest when it came to Tali. In his current emotional state, he was sure he'd crack if one foul thing was said about his wife.

"Father!" startled, the group turned to see a familiar Drell at the end of the corridor.

"Kolyat!" Thane walked over to meet his son, his joy snatched away when he saw the bloody bandages wrapped around his son's right hand. "What happened to you?" Kolyat lowered his head in shame.

"I...I tried, father, I tried to save him. I wasn't fast enough..." Kolyat began to reminisce over the cause of his injury, flashbacks of how he tried to shove the councilor to the ground when he spotted the sniper, but the moment his hand connected with the councilor's back, the shot was fired, penetrating his hand and lodging into the councilor's spine. He didn't need to explain, his father already had a good idea what he meant.

"It was unforseeable, Kolyat, the fault was not your own," the drell assassin said in an effort to comfort his son. He decided it was best if he discussed matters with his son in private. "You should find your krogan comrades, Shepard. I must speak with my son alone," he said pivoting in the spectre's direction. Shepard and his remaining companions nodded in unison and watched as the two drell strode away.

"We should find Wrex and Grunt. They are bound to know something of importance," Tali spoke up after a moment of silence.

The next few minutes were spent traveling down to C-sec interrogation where apparently Wrex and Grunt were being held for questioning. "_How typical," _Shepard thought, clenching his fist. Krogan are always the first to be blamed for violence. Granted they often were a brutal species, but he knew Wrex as well as he knew Grunt. Neither of them were capable, nor had any motive to commit such an atrocity.

When the elevator doors slid open, the three stepped out and rounded the corner of the corridor. The loud sounds of a heated argument present behind the first door they came to, he assumed this was interrogation. Shepard reached forward to unlock the door when suddenly, something struck the door from the other end with a loud clang. When the door opened, a human c-sec officer, previously leaning against the door, fell backward unconscious and the group were met with the site of two c-sec officers armed with shock-sticks desperately trying to restrain a krogan with a red-colored head-plate.

Freeing his arms from the grasp of the humans, Wrex grabbed each of them by the back of their necks and slammed them together so hard that both were knocked out cold. He gave an insidious smile to the spectre before two more c-sec officers stormed in with rifles aimed at the enraged krogan.

"Stand down!" Shepard commanded. "Commander Shepard, special tactics and recon. By the powers granted to me by the citadel council, I'm taking the suspect into my custody," the officers shared a confused glance for a moment then hesitantly lowered their weapons. Wrex chuckled and walked over to pat his old commander on the shoulder before the four sauntered out of the room.

"I wish you'd taken your time, Shepard. Been a while since I've had the privilege of rebelling against citadel laws," the krogan said.

"If that's what you think, then I'm glad I arrived when I did. Do you know where they're keeping Grunt?" the spectre asked.

"They threw him in a holding cell so we could be interrogated separately. I think they're afraid of us," Wrex finished with a smile. "What brings you back to the citadel anyway? I mean, besides that your council is now short one human?"

"I'll explain on the way to the cell blocks, a lot has transpired in the last few days..."

…

They were now less than a couple of miles from the Blue Suns' headquarters and Zaeed's confidence was ever so high in the success of the mission. The rocky hills and soon coming darkness of night would give them excellent cover during infiltration, but their method of infiltration would prove to be a more difficult task. The bounty hunter peered out from a large rock formation and used his binoculars to get a closer look at the thousands of feet of tritanium wall that protected the base on all sides.

"So what do you think?" Aranya asked, having sneaked up beside him. "A few breaching charges should make good work of that wall."

"Let's save that for plan B, love," he replied.

"It's the quickest way in, would also give us a clear path to the motor-pool."

"It's also the quickest way to alert the guards and put us on a path straight to hell."

"Then what would you suggest, hard-ass?"

Just then Zaeed spotted a single C-22 Cargo transport APC coming up the road and straight toward the base entrance. Aranya swore she could see a light-bulb hover over his head as he gave her a devious smirk. He had an idea and she had an idea she knew what it was.

"No! No way you are making me do that again!"

…

"Transport 2-9 reporting in, approximately one kilometer out. Requesting entry standby, over," the human driver spoke into the transport's communicator.

"Copy, 2-9. Standby ready, over and out," the batarian at the other end of the communicator responded. The Blue Sun's driver sighed and took a drag from his cigarette.

"I don' t get payed enough for this shit..." he said to himself. Coming around the corner, he spotted a single person in the middle of the road, a women, and asari at that. She wore loose fitting, leather military issue pants and a short, white, low-cut tank-top that left her waist exposed. He stopped the transport a few dozen feet from where she stood and waited as she waltzed over to the driver-side window.

"Hey there, having a good day?" she asked seductively.

"I am now," the human replied with a chuckle.

"Really?" she then drew a pistol and placed the barrel on his left temple. "Me too!"

"Shit..."

"Open the hatch!" The driver did as she asked and Zaeed and his hidden platoon all proceeded to board the transport with Aranya following suite in the passenger side of the vehicle. "Drive!"

Several minutes later they arrived at the base entrance. A single guard was posted outside along with two YMIR heavy mechs. The driver stopped directly in front of the gates and waited for the guard to approach the window. Aranya kept her pistol aimed at the driver's kidney.

"I need to see you're clearance code, sir," the helmeted turian guard said. Aranya nudged him in the side with her pistol and the human driver hesitantly handed the guard a datapad. The guard became slightly suspicious but still unsuspecting.

"Everything checks out, move along," the guard said after thoroughly examining the datapad. Walking back to his post, he radioed the gate operator and the gates began to slid open. The driver proceeded to drive through a large courtyard filled with combat ready vehicles and patrolling Blue Suns' troopers that set Aranya's nerves on fire. All it would take is one word and this human could have the whole base on full alert. Hopefully he wasn't that stupid, not with a gun leveled at his side. Seconds later the driver drove them into a closed hangar which housed most the bases vehicles, and killed the engine once the hangar doors closed behind them.

"Santiago's gonna grind you into tiny fucking varren treats, you blue bitch!"

"Not if I grind him up first," Aranya said then pistol-whipped the driver unconscious. Turning to Zaeed in the back compartment she said, "That's the last time I shake my ass at someone for you!"

"Not likely, love..."

…

Having reached the landing pad in the 800 blocks of the citadel, Kolyat set the sky-car down gently and powered down the thrusters. They soon found themselves in the elevator leading up to Kolyat's apartment.

"Uh, Father, there's something you should know before we set foot in my apartment," Kolyat said nervously.

"Judging by the hesitance in your voice, I feel I will find what I am about to hear unpleasant..." Thane replied just as the elevator reached the 91st floor and the doors opened.

"Well, I've sort of taken in a guest recently..." Kolyat waved his hand over the door's holographic lock and it opened with a quiet hiss.

"A guest?"

"Kolyat!" a quarian women yelled as she ran over to meet the two. "I saw what happened on the news-net, are you injured?"

Thane stared in confusion at the women before asking, "And you are?"

* * *

_Like how I tied Mass Effect: Inquisition into my fic? Me too. Wanted it to feel like Mass Effect 2.5 rather than just another fic. R&R! _


	49. Ch49: Flux

**A/N: **_I want my readers to know that I have not stopped writing, nor will I EVER stop writing this fic, or any of my other ongoing fics. Chapters have been slow because I have been wrapped up in finals, and soon to come, summer-school (DAMN YOU ALGEBRA!). Rest assured this fic will continue until it ends! :)_

* * *

Having acquired Grunt from the c-sec cell blocks, the spectre concluded that his next order of business would be to pay respects to the man who had sacrificed so much for him in life, and possibly even more in death. The walk down to the morgue was a quiet and eerie one. The air smelled cold and bitter as only death could. The echo of armored footsteps accompanied them the entire way, almost nerve racking to the savior of the citadel. He wished someone would speak, one of Garrus' wise-cracks or a complaint from Grunt about how they were wasting time investigating a crime when they should be curb-stomping faces, would have been a welcome gesture. If only something would distract him from the silent descent into the corridors that seemed to grow longer with each suspenseful second. For a brief moment though, glancing in the smaller krogan's direction, he did notice a difference in the way Grunt carried himself. His eyes held a certain discipline unrecognized in him, one that was strangely similar to Wrex. Surely he hadn't undergone such a drastic change in nearly a weeks time? Suddenly he felt guilty for letting his thoughts stray from his deceased friend, Anderson, of whom he knew his thoughts needed to be directed.

"Shepard?" Tali, having called his name, brought him out of his drifting trance. He hadn't realized he had appeared to be a statue mere feet from the heavy pressure doors used to seal and maintain the cold temperatures in the morgue. He felt a heavy pang in his gut and fought to stifle a grimace as he thought about what lay beyond the doors. It was so much easier to grieve for the loss of Kaiden Alenko. Never having to see a battered body, only a scarred memory and eternal guilt and remorse. He could almost imagine the vivid face of Anderson, blaming him for his death, that he wasn't there to protect him. But the thought would only haunt him more if he were to not see the body, to come to terms that his friend was truly dead.

"We'll give you some space, Shepard. I'm not one for alien sentiment anyway," Wrex spoke with a rare softness before ushering Grunt and Garrus to follow him back up to the academy's main floor. As the three strode off, Tali stepped in front of her troubled husband and embraced him comfortingly.

"If you need anything, anything at all, I'll be right here," she said, caressing his armored shoulder lovingly before stepping aside so that he might enter.

"I love you," he replied with equal affection. Gathering his pride and resolve, he walked at a brisk pace forward, the doors instantly pressurizing and opening to allow him entry. The few steps he took inside felt like an eternal descent into hell. The air was even colder inside the room than it was outside. It all felt like a real life Dante's Inferno and the seventh circle of hell.

The room was pitch black when he entered, but as the pressure doors sealed behind him, the lights flickered to life revealing every inch of the cold storage used as a morgue. Large, human-sized cry-tubes aligned the walls in a horizontal fashion, each retracted into the dull gray, tritanium walls. The freezing oxygen could be seen being circulated through the vents in the roof. Had it not been for the temperature regulator built into his N7 armor, he felt he would surely have hypothermia by the time his visit was over.

A small terminal built into the center of the wall caught his attention. Walking up to it, he waved his armored glove in front of it which brought up an extensive list of the dead. A slight wave of his fingers, the list scrolled, and he saw it. Anderson, David E. He paused for brief moment and sighed heavily before tapping the release button. The cryo-tube slowly slid out from the wall, the glass completely obscured by the thin layer of ice buildup. Letting his armored glove rest on the glass, the spectre inhaled deeply, mustering his last reserves of courage.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered. With nothing left to consider, he hit the small button on the side of the tube. A loud hiss sounded as the pressure was released and the glass covering opened in a vertical fashion with each side slowly sliding into the mechanical structure. His heart rate quickened as the cold air vented out in a thick cloud. Only when it cleared, his eyes widened in horror.

"What the hell?"

…

Standing nervously in the preceding corridor, Tali anxiously wrung her hands together, thoughts of her emotionally broken husband plaguing her mind. He'd been inside for more than five minutes now, though it might as well have been five hours with how impatient she was becoming. Turning to face the door, she hesitantly reached out to touch the holographic lock, wanting nothing more than to run to Shepard's side and be his support, his shoulder to cry on despite his wish to be alone in examining the body. Come to think of it though, she couldn't imagine John crying. In fact, she didn't think she had ever seen him cry, not once. Either his pain ran deeper than she thought, or he really was that strong.

A sudden hiss came from the door. Startled, she jerked her hand away and watched as the locks slid into the wall. Shepard stormed out before the door was even half-way open, his shoulder clipping her as he stomped past. In that split second, however, she was able to make out the sheer rage plastered on his features. He had seen something in there he didn't like. Not one bit.

"Shepard, wait!" she strained to keep up with him. He could practically step through a mountain with that face! "Shepard, what's wrong? John!" she exclaimed, hoping he would respond better on a first name basis.

"Not now!" he snapped, never faltering in his pace. Tali was taken aback by the anger in his voice. For the first time she felt like he was talking at her instead of to her. He would never raise his voice at her; much less use that venomous tone unless he wanted to sleep on the cabin's couch for a week. What had set his nerves aflame?

She followed him all the way up to the coroner's office; passing Garrus, Wrex, and Grunt while pleading to him the whole way though he seemed completely deaf to it. They followed as he stormed into the coroner's office and watched as he walked up to the coroner, sitting at his desk, and swept everything off the desk in a fit of rage sending the items and clutter falling to the floor.

The spectre slammed a balled fist down on the desk and yelled, "Where is he!"

"W-where's who?" the frightened man stammered. Aggravated, the spectre lunged foward over the desk and grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, bringing him mere inches from his face.

"David Anderson! Where is the body!"

"Shepard, stop it!" Tali pleaded.

Looking as if he was going to soil himself, the coroner replied, "It's not here! I...I released the body!"

"You did what!"

"A man came in here earlier, his credentials checked out! His clearance level was higher than yours, I swear!"

"I need a name! Who signed for the body!"

"I don't know! He had full body armor on! I couldn't see his face!"

"John, let him go!" Tali yelled, hoping he'd respond better to his first name once again.

Growling, as much as a human could, the spectre shoved the man back in his seat with such force that it broke the chair and left the man collapsed on the floor. He picked up a data pad laying on the floor with the rest of the desk clutter and saw a list of signatures. At the top, next to David E. Anderson, was the name "Roman Able." Furious, he tossed the data pad at the coroner, still sprawled out on the cold metal floor, then turned and stormed past his comrades and wife, who all ran out after him. He didn't know who this Roman Able was, or how in the hells of every religion he had the clearance to walk out with the late councilor's body, but he was dead-set on letting the council feel his disapproval. If he was truly put in charge of this investigation, surely he would have been informed of a body transfer. Something rather shady was going on in the background of this whole event.

The group stood in shock, watching the seething spectre storm out of the office and vanish around the corner.

"Would now be an inappropriate time for me to make a snarky comment?" Garrus asked, somewhat sarcastically. He regretted his question when he noticed Tali giving him her infamous death-glare out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes, Garrus...it definitely would be..."

"You think we should follow him?" asked Wrex.

"I'll talk to him...alone..."

…

"Noble Councilor's..." the spectre started, the disdain transparent in his tone. Once again, he found himself standing before the holographic projections of the three present citadel councilors. "I believe I was told I'd be given the full resources and cooperation of this council as well as Citadel Security... Now if I am to be heading this investigation, those resources must include the body of the late Councilor Anderson..." without warning, Shepard's tone instantly became full of anger. "So why in the hell was I not informed of the transfer of his body!" Taken aback by the spectre's sudden outburst, the three councilors shared looks of confusion with one another. The asari councilor was the first to answer.

"Commander Shepard, I'm afraid we are oblivious to what you speak of."

"The body of David Anderson was released to a Roman Able! Ring any bells?" the spectre asked.

"We are unfamiliar with that name, could it be that you have had some sort of psychotic break, Shepard?" Councilor Velarn asked in his expected tone of annoyance.

Slamming his fist on the terminal, the spectre replied, "The records show that he was given coded authorization, by you, to remove the body!"

"Please! Compose yourself, commander!" the asari councilor spoke once again. "I assure you we gave no such authorization, especially to no one by the name of Roman Able."

"Yeah? Well you can tell him yourself when I drag his ass back here in a body bag!"

"Commander, you're anger, righteous as it may be, is clearly misplaced. Continue your investigation and we will work our methods to locate this imposter," the Salarian councilor interjected. Exhaling his impatience, the spectre regained his composure.

"Yes councilor, I apologize for my unprofessional behavior..."

"We recommend that you visit the scene of the crime, commander. Observe and discover if you can find any details our forensic scientists may have overlooked. Consult with Ambassador Udina should you require anything further," said the asari councilor.

"Very well; I'll report when I have something..." With everything said, the spectre exited the secure room and back out into the main lobby. Though he didn't expect to find a certain angry quarian, arms crossed, and death-glare splayed on her face.

"John, I believe we need to talk..." sighing in frustration, the commander stormed past her; leaving her growling in frustration and chasing after him. "John! Don't you dare ignore me!"

"Now is definitely the worst time to talk, Tali..."

"I strongly disagree! You're angry, you're not yourself!" Shepard kept walking, not paying her any attention. "John Shepard! You're wife is speaking to you!"

"MY WIFE-" Shepard halted and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders. So firmly that she felt they would break from the pressure his hands were exerting, even through the suit. She winced in pain as he held her. "-is not the one dead and missing with a hole in the back of her neck!"

"John...let..." she shoved his hands away from her and rubbed her bruised shoulders. Looking at him as if he were a complete stranger. "What has got into your head?" He took a step back, shocked that he had injured the women he would die for. So many conflicting thoughts in his head. He turned and walked away; his head hung low in shame. Tali, for once didn't know what to do. Even before their relationship, she had always looked out for his well-being and known exactly how to help him. Now, all she could do was watch him deteriorate with rage. She stood there, helpless and hopeless.

"Keelah..."

…

"Shit!" Aranya cursed through gritted teeth, clutching the wound at her side as lasers whizzed past the shipping container that bore her only source of safety.. "Only you would trip the silent alarm on the first step! Seriously, that's gotta be rule number one in infiltration!"

"You can...sue me for pain and suffering when this is over! For now, blow it out your ass!" Zaeed retorted, pausing momentarily as a laser deflected off the crate he was using for cover.

"The only thing I'll be blowing outta my ass is blood, no thanks to you!" Aranya reached for a grenade on her belt, using her teeth to pull the pin.

"Flash out!" She yelled, tossing the flash-bang over the crate into the squad of enemy mercs. A loud pop followed by the screams of the mercs confirmed its success in blinding its targets. Zaeed and Aranya leaned out of cover in unison and picked off the mercs one by one; Zaeed with his new-found Mattock single-shot rifle, and Aranya with her Vindicator rifle.

Keeping their rifles leveled, they examined the bodies; three kills confirmed. Aranya lowered her rifle, wincing at the wound at her side. The half-alive turian on the ground choked as he used the last of his life to lift his rifle at the oblivious asari. Bang! A shot rang out from Zaeed's Mattock, missing her by mere inches and hitting the turian merc behind her in the neck. She quickly glanced at the fresh kill and back to Zaeed with a shocked expression.

"Doesn't mean we're engaged, love," he said with a smirk. Aranya rolled her eyes and nudged the turian's body with her foot to reassure herself. "Are you hit?" he asked, using his rifle to gesture to her wound.

"Shot grazed me, nothing I can't live with."

"Mm...that's too bad. Would've saved me the trouble."

"Whatever, you know you like having me around." Zaeed ignored her comment and proceeded to a set of blast doors.

"I don't see a control panel. They must have locked it from the other side," said Zaeed, examining the doors while contemplating for a way inside

"Well, this is the only way in."

"Breaching charge." Aranya reached around her waist, grabbing a single box-shaped device and tossing it to him. Zaeed caught it and immediately went to work; clamping it to the door frame and arming the device before sidling the wall. Aranya mimicked his action. "Clear!" No more than a second later, the charge exploded; destroying the door frame. The blast doors tumbled forward with nothing to hold them in place. Both charged in to find two batarian mercs working frantically at a series of control terminals which they suspected were the LOMAC targeting controls.

"Freeze!" Zaeed yelled. The two mercs panicked; each trying to reach for their side-arms before the human and asari put a few rounds in their chests. "They always wanna do things the bloody easy way..." Aranya ignored his attempt at bringing levity into the situation and dashed over to the terminal; shoving the limp body of one of the batarians off the control panel in the process before beginning her hack.

"Dammit! The controls are encrypted with a phrase password! I can't break it without an idea of what to-"

"Rage is a hell of an anesthetic," Brushing off her confusion, the asari entered the said password. Several seconds later, a chime confirmed their granted access and the asari hit the emergency shutdown option for the LOMACs and re-encoded the terminal to prevent them from being rebooted.

"Done! Orbital guns offline. Platoons 2 and 3 should be clear to land now. How the hell did you know that would work?"

"Best guess. Blue Suns weren't the only thing the bastard stole from me," Zaeed reached for his communicator. "Anto, Grizz, ground defenses disabled! Make this distraction a good one! We don't have much time before they figure out what it is were doing!"

…

Though reluctant, the human spectre set out for the presidium to examine the crime scene. By this time, night was approaching and the artificial sunlight had been disabled. Only street lights and the faint glow of synthetic moonlight remained. Stepping off the elevator, the spectre was greeted by Ambassador Udina, who's complexion was as rough and cold as ever. Even in light of current events.

"Commander, my condolences for the loss of Anderson. He was...an invaluable asset to the galactic community," the ambassador said with little to no remourse. He offered his hand which the commander reluctantly shook with little enthusiasm.

"Invaluable is quite an understatement, ambassador. But I'm not here for your council. I'd like to examine the crime scene."

"Of course, If you'd please follow me..." The walk took them near the still broken Krogan monument where a small area of the street had been surrounded and blocked off with holographic tape. A crew of C-sec forensic scientists were hard at work, collecting any evidence they could find. Passing harmlessly through the holographic tape, Shepard could see a massive pool of blood that made his stomach churn. It wasn't necessarily the sight of blood that bothered him, but the thought that it was the blood of someone very close to him.

Kneeling to examine it closer, the commander's thoughts became adrift; wondering what Anderson had experienced in his last moments. Considering that cervical decapitation was the cause of death, he probably had no idea he was even shot. Better that way, he supposed. He set his eyes on the laser-pointer tracer and followed it up to the balcony of the nearby hotel where flash-lights confirmed the presence of more C-sec personnel. He began to make his way to that very spot on the balcony, leaving the human ambassador behind without a word.

It was a completely different scenario. From what he could see, the forensic scientists had gathered little to nothing; simply mumbling to one another and ignoring his presence as they sifted through information on their hand-held data pads. Even with his keen eye, he couldn't spot a speck of hair or any trace of evidence that might point to an individual ever being present there.

Leaning over the balcony to look down on the crime scene from above, the commander felt as if his confidence had taken a tumble off the railing.

It was a dead end...

If it is any consolation..." Udina appeared along side him. "Even the council's private investigators were unable to gather anything of value. I honestly didn't expect anything more from you," Shepard cursed the ambassador silently. If this was his way of attempting to express sympathy, he was making a less than satisfactory effort at it. "It is probably best that we continue to confer with Executor Nidas. He has yet to present his results in the analysis of the perpetrator's weapon. You should get some rest commander, at least until his report has been delivered."

…

Having been unable to keep up with him, much less convince her husband to compose himself, Tali returned to the Normandy with the hope that he would soon return more relaxed and willing to talk. But after several hours of Shepard's continued absence, as well as that of Garrus, Wrex, and Grunt, she found herself becoming very apprehensive. Shepard had recently become a person she was unaccustomed to. Bitter and emotionally unpredictable.

Idly playing with the nutrient paste packet in her hands, her mind was hard at work and focused on her husband's condition. It was hard to believe he could have undergone such a drastic change so suddenly. The loss of his squad on Akuze, the death of his friend, Kaiden Alenko, even bearing witness to Sovereign's massacre of thousands of quarian miners hadn't broken him. She knew he suffered from nightmares occasionally. And with all they've been through, he had never found the time to grieve. He must have buried it all down inside himself; repressed his guilt and remorse until a stresser came along and ignited a ticking time bomb inside him. In this case, Anderson's death was the spark that lit the fuse.

"Not hungry?" she gasped at the sudden interruption. Looking up at Garrus who took a seat across from her, she realized just then that she had been the mess hall's only occupant for who knows how long. She had lost track of time thinking about Shepard. "Well Shepard did say something about me being ugly but I thought he meant it with humor."

"Garrus! Forgive me, I was light-years away. You just startled me is all," she replied courteously.

"Not a problem. Shepard already hit the sack, huh?"

"No. He's been gone for hours. I thought about trying his communicator but..."

"He's still got a that Klixen crawling around in his ass?"

"Um..."

"Sorry, been holding that one since the coroner's office. Had to get it out of my system," the turian said with a chuckle.

Tali sighed, burying her helmet in her hands. "Oh Garrus...I'm just so exhausted with everything that's happened. We've never had anything in the middle of us before-"

"You mean never had anything come between you?"

"Yes, not shut up and let me gripe!" Garrus waved his hands defensively while suppressing a grin. He never became bored with teasing her. "Anyway, I was going to say that I don't know how I'm supposed to react as his wife, much less have him communicate his troubles with me."

"Did you try talking to him?"

"Yes, but he didn't want anything to do with me! It's like he's forgotten that we're even married!"

"Since when have you ever let that stop you? Shepard's like a brother to me. I know him well enough to know that he's never opened up to anyone. You know he barely knew his parents, that he grew up in an anti-alien gang known as the Reds. But think about it. Has he ever gone into detail about any of it?"

Tali was speechless. Hearing such wisdom from the turian vigilante she'd known for years. He was right. Shepard had never shared anything! During their "alone time" she enjoyed sharing her past with him. By the time she finished, she would insist that she was babbling and that it was his turn to share. But he always gave her the same answer; saying that his past life was irrelevant and uninteresting. She figured he would open up in time, but hadn't realized she had put it off for too long. Now she was facing the consequences. "What should I do?" she asked.

"Talk to him in a way that he understands. With force. I'm not saying you should kick his teeth in, just get it across to him that you're not going to accept being married to a stranger."

This was truly an unfamiliar side of Garrus. But he was correct. She couldn't live in ignorance any longer. Either Shepard was going to open up his heart, or she was going to force it open herself. With new found resolve, she smiled and nodded to the turian before looking up at the ceiling and summoning the Normandy's AI.

"EDI, you have Shepard's transponder, where is he right now?"

"He is currently on the upper levels of the Zakera Ward, Mrs. Shepard. More specifically, a popular night club owned by a Volus named Doran."

"Flux. Oh Keelah!" Tali leaped from her seat and dashed for the elevator leaving a very confused Garrus behind.

"What? What's wrong with Flux?" Garrus thought for a minute before coming to a realization that in Shepard's current state of mind, he would go to Flux for the same reason all guilty individuals do. To "drown his sorrows."

* * *

_R&R!_


	50. Ch50: Roman Able

**A/N: **_And so I hit a milestone with Chapter 50. Hope you have all enjoyed reading up to this point and will continue to keep on reading, because I assure you, this is far from over. Enjoy and remember, R&R's are very much appreciated!_

* * *

The hour was late on citadel but that did little to stop the constant flow patrons and tourists alike bustling from in and out of the Zakera Ward's most popular night club, Flux. Individuals of all races happily took to the dance floor with friends and dates while those looking to gamble their credits away, risked what they had on the Quasar machines. Others who had little interest in loosening up to the heavy bass of the techno music or distracting themselves in a game of chance sat at the bar and the many tables enjoying casual conversation with a few added drinks. However, there was one man who was there for none of those reasons.

Shepard, the first and only human spectre, sat at an empty table in the center of the club, slouched in his chair and staring lazily at the tall glass of ale in his hand, rotating it back and forth absentmindedly while his thoughts drifted miles away.

"Would you more to drink sir?" He looked up at the asari waitress who stood beside his table with a pitcher of ale.

"Please…" he slid his glass toward her which she took and began refilling with the expensive ale. The human spectre reached out and pulled the pitcher down further to make sure it was filled to the rim. This, of course, made the waitress grimace in confusion. "Thanks…" he added before she stepped back over to the bar.

Now that he was alone once again, he retraced his thoughts from several minutes ago, back to those repressed that only emerged in the form of nightmares. Visions of those long dead plagued him. He thought of his marine scout unit, all but Toombs having been dragged to the hell beneath the sands of Akuze by a Thresher Maw. It was his fault, he knew it. He was squad leader and thus was his duty to pull them through each mission alive. He could recall so vividly, their faces and the fear in the eyes that showed they knew they were going to die, and he could do nothing to save them.

Not long after was his acceptance into the ranks of the spectres and the hunt for Saren Arterius. Though the mission itself was a success, their victory came with the high cost of blood, the blood of his old friend, Kaiden Alenko. Though none of his comrades blamed him, he still wondered years later, if things would have turned out for the better had he made a different decision. Was there even a right choice in an impossible scenario such as that? No one should have to decide who lives and who dies in combat. Dammit, he is Commander Shepard, hero of the Citadel; he has saved his life, and the lives of those around him countless times with simple improvisation. Yet it was useless in Kaiden's case. He failed him.

Then there was everything that had taken place recently. Who knows how many humans suffered a painful, horrific death by liquidation on the Collector base because he wasn't fast enough? What about the thousands of quarian miners who lost were wiped out in the blink of an eye by an ancient super weapon? They had families. Families who no doubt, loved them as quarians do. How many had he left grieving?

Worst of all, was Anderson, who was gunned down suddenly and deliberately by an unknown assailant. Humanity may have lost its councilor, but he lost his friend and quite possibly, his father figure. How many more would die before the end of his current mission? If he couldn't protect them, how could he expect to protect his wife, and how long? Thankfully he began feel slightly inebriated before his thoughts trailed to darker depths.

As if things couldn't be any more somber, the citadel news net terminal at the far end of the club was buzzing non-stop with coverage on Anderson's death. A small crowed of gossiping patrons had gathered around it, indulging in whatever rumors they may have heard, or conjured on the spot.

"I can't believe somebody actually had the nerve to commit such an atrocity! The humans are outraged, it won't be long before there's civil unrest among us," he overheard from the crowed.

"Who do you think is responsible, anti-human radicals perhaps?"

"This is the first council assassination in history. I'm telling you, the councilor must have been involved in shady dealings. No one man suffers a death such as that without acquiring a great deal of infamy."

"The humans brought this upon themselves. They arrive onto the galactic scene and already expect power to be handed over to them. I call it poetic justice." That turian was lucky he was feeling the effects of the alcohol; otherwise he would have acted on a passing thought to walk over there and make him eat his own mandibles. It did little to numb his guilt though. The cheap ale was no help at all. He needed something stronger. Being a very light drinker by nature, it wouldn't take much for him to get severely intoxicated.

Downing the last of his drink with one quick swig, he slammed the glass down onto the table, cracking the bottom enough for the ale to leak out onto the table, and stood to saunter over to the bar. The salarian bartender eyed him suspiciously with a look that said he could tell the human spectre was going to order something expensive.

"Give me the strongest stuff in the house, and make sure it's levo," the spectre said as he took an awkward seat on one of the stools.

"Looking at you, I'm not sure you need something that strong, sir," the salarian bartender replied half-closing one eye.

"Hey, when I break a leg, then I'll care what you have to say," Shepard retorted, slurring his speech.

"Well then, I hope this drink breaks your leg." Just a few seconds later, the salarian slid the tall glass over to the human spectre. Whatever it was, it smelled like gasoline, and he was almost sure it probably tasted like it too. But if drinking combustible fluid was what it would take, then so be it.

With a quick and deep breath, he raised the glass to his mouth, parted his lips and let the tea colored liquid splash its way down into his throat. At first the taste was somewhat bland before turning sickeningly bitter, and on top of that, it burned like hot embers on his throat when he swallowed. About half a minute later and he had managed to consume the whole beverage; of course the alcoholic drink was also doing a little consuming itself on his senses. It was unreal. Just moment later and he was practically legally blind from intoxication as well as extremely dizzy and somewhat nauseous. That, however, wasn't nearly enough to quench his thirst.

"Gimme uh...gimme another one uh...whatever goes into the thing here," he slurred an attempt at requesting another drink.

"It's your funeral pal," said the salarian bartender as he refilled the glass to the rim. Shepard snatched the glass just before he finished causing some of the liquor to spill onto the counter. Though the bartender opened his mouth to protest, the spectre had already taken a long swig and downed more than half of its contents. Another wave of nausea fell over him a moment after and he nearly fell out of the stool upon which he sat.

"More…" he managed to gargle out.

"No way, pal. Anymore and Doran will have my head-" Amazingly, in his drunken haze, the spectre managed to reach over the counter with his free hand and grab the bartender by one of his horns.

"I'm the one who's got your head!" he then slammed the salarian's face down onto the counter, knocking him out cold. "God damn…lousy ass service…" though he snagged the bottle of liquor from behind the counter to take another drink, someone calling his name stopped him.

"John, what in Keelah's name are you doing!" Surely he wasn't so drunk that he was hearing things, specifically his wife's voice. "John!" No, of course he wasn't. Doing his best to turn in his stool without falling over, he came face to face with her. Her arms fully stretched out below her hips and her hands balled into fists. Damn she was angry.

"Oh…hey there honey, say hello to my…friend here," he then lifted up the unconscious bartender's head and did his best drunken impression of the salarian. "Hi there miss, my name's buzzkill!" he chuckled before letting go of the salarian's horn, letting the unconscious heap slid down onto the floor behind the counter.

"What did you do to him!" she exclaimed.

"Him? I uh…I gave em' some criticism…about the way he treats his customers," the spectre replied without even a hint of seriousness.

"You are unbelievable! Anderson is dead and this is how you choose to grieve for him?"

"Wha' do ya' expect me do to? Go to my room and jus' cry like a…big baby?"

"I expect you to talk to me! I'm your wife, for Keelah's sake! Do you really think there's nothing you could tell me that I wouldn't understand? Do you even trust me enough to listen?" she said, holding back the tears in her misty eyes. By this time the most of the patrons were watching their public spectacle. Shepard rose from his seat with his glass still in his hand.

"Wha' would I say da' you? Not like you know anything about people you love n' care for dyin' and stuff. All you do is stan' around in yer' skimpy suit and stuff, whinin' about how I don' talk ta' you and nagging me! I gues' that sayin' is true, marriage really is the fastest form of suicide! You don' know nothin' about loss!" Tali gasped loudly in horror at his words and took one step back. She could no longer hold back.

Tears began to flow freely down her flushed cheeks. She couldn't decide whether to be simply be sad and run away, or angry. Too bad for him, she chose the latter. With incredible precision, the quarian engineer back-handed him hard across the face sending him tumbling back before he crashed into a table, bringing it and the glasses on it down with him.

He lay there, in a pile of shattered glass and an already forming bruise on the side of his face. Though it was mostly his inebriation that sent him off balance and onto the floor, it was still rather humiliating. The entire club went silent, watching at the quarian woman stormed across the room to stand over him, nearly crushing her palms with the force she exerted on balling her fists. Even in his drunken haze, he could see the tears rolling down her face through the purple veil of her visor. He couldn't believe he had just said such a thing to her.

"How dare you…" she started, her breath ragged and her voice quivering. "I watched for weeks from the window of a quarantine room as my mother's body was ravaged by sickness, I was forced to look upon the blast riddled body of my own father whom I barely even knew!" She leaned in closer, sniffling before she continued. "I saw you choke for breath as your body was incinerated in the atmosphere over Alchera…and you say I know nothing of loss, of losing those you love, watching them die?" Standing up to her full height, the spectre watched in horror as she tore the necklace he had given her as an engagement gift from her neck and threw it in his lap. He looked down at it for a moment to catch a glimmer of light from the element zero stored in the center of the blue gem before looking back to his wife with a pleading expression.

"Don't bother coming back to the cabin tonight…I will have EDI change the lockout codes…" that said, he watched her storm out of the club and out of sight.

Shepard reached down for the gem and held it in his open palm. Even in his state of severe intoxication, his body was a mess of emotional distress. He felt so guilty for what he just said, not even knowing what force inside of him made him say it in the first place. Closing his fingers around the gem, he clutched it tightly in the palm of his hands and rose clumsily to his feet to chase after her.

"Tali!" he called out, hoping she had not run off too far ahead of him. He dashed out of the busy nightclub, shards of glass still embedded in his bare, bloody arms. But physical pain was the last thing on his mind. Just when he had hoped to catch her in the corridor around the corner from the club's entrance, his confidence faltered at the sight of not a single soul. "Damn my luck…"

"You got that right," a voice said from behind. Before the spectre could turn around, he felt a painful jolt in the back of his neck followed by total blackness.

…

"Ugh…" Shepard began feeling his conscious mind return to him along with a dreadful tingling sensation on the back of his neck. The nausea and dizziness were gone however, so he suspected he had been out for a few hours which allowed him to sober up. He slowly opened his eyes to be met with light shining through fine fabric in front of his eyes. His head was covered in a cloth wrap.

"Your name and the current year," that distorted voice again. Whoever it was, had been pacing behind him and clad in battle armor. The clanking of armored boots on metal flooring was a dead give-away.

"What the hell is this?" Shepard retorted.

"Name and year, please," the individual said again.

"Commander Shepard…twenty-one eighty-six."

"Good, looks like that jolt didn't fry your synapses. I don't think you'll be needing this anymore…" suddenly the cloth wrap was removed from the spectre's head, allowing him to take in the sight of the tall individual in pitch black merc armor adorned with white stripes. His face was obscured by black helmet he wore which had two, yellow colored optics. He was clearly human.

"Who are you?" the spectre asked; his tone venomous and eyes narrowed into a glare.

"I'll give you a hint. You just missed me at the morgue the other day."

"Roman Able…" The man nodded, confirming the spectre's statement. "So, Roman, why am I…wherever it is you've brought me." For the first time since the head wrap was removed, he took in his surroundings which weren't very much to look at. Like a bad thriller vid, he was in a pitch black room tied down by metal cuffs to a chair of the same material. A single diode overhead was the only light source.

"Well you're not here because I want something from you, if that was your first thought. You're here because you want something from me."

"The body of David Anderson?"

"More valuable, information," the spectre remained silent as Roman paced around the room. "How much do you know about the details regarding the death of Executor Venari Pallin?"

"I know that Commander Armando Bailey killed him and that he was found feeding classified information to enemies of the Cita-"

"Wrong commander," Roman interrupted. "at least about his crime. Pallin was just a victim of circumstance. He stumbled upon information that pointed to long suspected fact…"

"Which is?"

"There's a traitor in the midst of the council, a high ranking Cerberus agent to be specific. So let me ask you another question: how much do you know about Ambassador Donnel Udina? Have you ever taken a close look at his records? Not many have. Pallin however, being the anti-humanist he was, decided to clean house; take a look at all humans who work under the foot of the council and even the Alliance. It was with months of research that he discovered Udina's past was forged, a lie. Fake."

"So, you want me to believe that Ambassador Udina is a Cerberus infiltrator who's been spying for them for nearly thirty years? As much as I dislike the man, it sounds a little far-fetched, even to me."

"I can prove it. Here, take a look at this," the masked man reached for the pack at his hip and retrieved a small datapad. He showed it to the spectre, pages of information and a photo of Udina displaying on the screen.

"How do I know any of what your showing me is real?"

"Still a skeptic? Doesn't matter, have Mordin Solus take a look and he'll confirm what I've told you." Roman took the datapad and tucked it away in the pocket of the commander's vest before taking a few steps back. "Remember this Shepard, Donnel Udina and Theodore Nidas, cannot be trusted." The man then reached for his side-arm and took at the spectre's chest.

"One more thing commander… Apologize to your wife you miserable bastard!" And the last thing Shepard felt before blacking out was a familiar stinging jolt in his chest.

* * *

_Uh oh, Tali and Shepard's first fight as a married couple! How will this end? :O_


	51. Ch51: Reborn

Since their founding in the early quarter of 2165, the Blue Suns Mercenaries had carved a bloody path across the galaxy, one that did well to establish them with a reputation for being utterly ruthless and discreet in their work. Though they began as a small force numbering in the hundreds and operating within the territories of the Skyllian Verge, free-lancers from everywhere quickly began to rally to them and line up for a chance at some extra credits. Shortly after Vido's betrayal, the treacherous co-founder of the Blue Suns signed a partnership with their batarian founders, which succeeded in adding the numbers of the 4-eyed aliens to their organization as well as preventing any unwanted conflict with them.

One of their very first and most prestigious opportunities came in the later months of 2165 from a batarian aristocrat named Edan Had'dah, who hired them to perform a raid on a Systems Alliance research facility at Sidon, which was seen as a bold move by many, including that of the late turian spectre Saren Arterius, who was partly responsible for Had'dah's death shortly after.

Under Vido Santiago's command, the Blue Suns took up an offer handed to them by the nefarious Collectors, which required them to deliver the body of none other than that of the formerly deceased Commander Shepard, though their contract was ultimately foiled by the combined efforts of Liara T'Soni and Feron.

In the end, the Blue Suns were not broken and continued to build and expand beyond the verge to the surrounding star clusters where they sought out new and more profitable opportunities. After twenty years in the business, they currently hold the title as the most cut-throat unit in the galaxy. Neither the legions of the Eclipse Sisters, nor the brutes of the Blood Pack dare question their infamy or challenge their muscle. There was however, one man who feared the pain or the chance of gruesome death that would surely follow in his quest for vengeance.

Zaeed Massani, the true commander of the Blue Suns, who had already sacrificed his right eye for what was rightfully his, made a deal with devil for another chance to avenge his pride and kill Vido Santiago. Though many would call Aria T'loak just that, the devil, he and even Shepard knew better that she had never actually committed any atrocities against the innocent. She had even disappeared and reinvented her life once to avoid being forced to kill someone she cared about. Only the scum of Omega who had the nerve to cross her met the crushing force of her biotic prowess.

Now with her most experienced free-lancers at his command along with the assistance of his former love interest Aranya T'konis, he had the sheer firepower required to make a tactical assault on the Blue Suns primary base of operations where he knew Vido would be waiting for him. Santiago was a coward, but his long entertained idea of taking Zaeed alive to shoot him in his other eye would keep him there.

"Heavy fire…repeat taking heavy fire…enemy reinforcements…engaging enemy mechs at…get some rockets on those mother…" Anto's transmission trailed off into static.

"Distance to the control room?" Zaeed said while leaning around a corner so as to scan for enemies.

"Twenty-three meters, three-O-clock next corner," Aranya replaced a spent thermal clip, letting the empty cartridge fall to the floor, hissing as it burned into the tritanium tiling.

The vast establishment that made up the structure of the Blue Suns base had gone on full alert since the deactivation of their orbital defense towers. Though they knew not of the nature of the threat, what they did know was that they were now vulnerable to low orbit bombardment as well as attacks by enemy infantry should they be dropped in by way of shuttle craft. With Anto and Grizz's squads of freelance mercenaries diverting base security away from the central structure, it would—at least in theory—create a window of opportunity and leave Vido's guard partially diminished, assuming he would actually be in the command center. Though even if they managed to terminate the target, the sun's forces would still have them severely outnumbered and without means of escape, which is why they had to strive for a secondary objective.

The two rushed forward ten meters down the following corridor and sidled the next corner at the end of it, both nearly holding their breath in anticipation of the defense systems that no doubt protected the objective.

Aranya carefully poked her head out around the corner, mere inches of her face exposed before several bursts of machine gun fire clipped the corner. She retreated quickly to avoid injury, only catching a glance of the offender then turned back to her human comrade. "Emplaced weapon eleven meters, I count two, maybe three troopers."

"Too far to rush and were short-handed on cloaks. Is there a way around them?"

"Not unless you can walk through walls." It was then that Zaeed noticed the vent cover on the wall they huddled against and his plan came into focus. "Cutting torch," Aranya provided him with the requested tool which he used to cut away the seals and pull away the grate. "It'll be easier for you to squeeze through there, better get moving."

Without protest the agile asari crawled into the air shaft, barely fitting through to the other end. Quietly removing the wall cover, she crawled out silently and approached the three troopers, one on the emplaced weapon and one on either side of him. Mere inches to their backs, she grabbed took her pistol in her right hand and knife in the left. The first she dispatched with shot to the back of head, the other by shanking him in the throat with her omni-tool blade, and the one on the machine gun, she took before he could turn around and with a violent twist, snapped his neck.

"Area clear of hostiles, get down here and help me open this door!" Zaeed complied by sprinting to her where she stood at the next blast doors that looked thoroughly reinforced. That and the holographic hand-print & eye scanner hovering in front of it supported her observation. "Door's too thick for charges. Looks like a mixed tritanium alloy." While she stood there with her hands on her hips, looking at the door in a thoughtful manner, Zaeed paced back to the bodies of the recently deceased soldiers. Hearing shuffling from behind her she turned to him and quirked an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"One of these buggers has got to have some form of clearance. Get over here and help me carry this bloody sack!" Aranya rolled her eyes and joined him. Kneeling down next to the limp corpse, she activated her tech-blade and slashed off his dead hand then used the tip of the synthetic blade to pick out his eye. "Was that really necessary?"

"No," the asari tossed the slimy eyeball in the air and caught it, "but much easier," she finished with a wicked smile. Using both the palm and retina scanner simultaneously, the hologram flashed and made a simple chime. Slowly the giant rods locking the doors in place slide into the wall and the blast doors segments retreated to allow the authenticated user entry.

The pair rushed into the room, checking each corner for possible enemies who may be lurking in the shadows. The room was designed in a dome like fashion. Haptic interface computers lining the walls and security monitors hung from the ceiling. There was also a sign on the wall with an arrow pointed straight ahead that read "Automated Defense Control." This was exactly what they were hoping for, a few screens even showed detailed stats of the active mechs in the base.

Coming around the corner of the room, they peaked into the next room and spotted two scientists in lab coats and one armed guard protecting them. Zaeed held up his hand and silently counted down from three to one with his fingers before they rushed in weapons ready. Just as the one sentry glanced at them, Zaeed put two shells in his chest.

"Both of you get the fuck up!" he yelled. The scientists nervously rose with their hands up. "Get up against the wall now!" The two human scientists quickly did so. God forbid they made any sudden movements. Zaeed turned back to the control console the men were working at, displayed on the screen was live feed from the optics of multiple Blue Suns mechs. Infrared vision highlighting each of the freelance mercenaries engaged in brutal conflict with troopers and mechanical sentries alike. "I don't suppose you're an expert on mech programming-"

"Look out!" Aranya exclaimed. Zaeed hadn't noticed one of the scientists snag a pistol from a desk, though the asari quickly dropped with a single shot of her own pistol. She then aimed at the other cowering against the wall. "Your buddy just blew it for you, pal!" she said before firing a slug in his upper leg.

"What the bloody hell are you doing!" Zaeed shouted.

"I'm taking out the garbage! What does it look like?"

"He's unarmed! Stand down, that's an order!"

"Since when did I ever take orders from you?"

"Since I started pointing a gun at your head!" he said while leveling his rifle at her. "Stand down now!" Aranya clenched her teeth in frustration, arrogant bastard that Zaeed was, always trying to dominate the situation. He didn't own her, not now, not ever. Sadly, she did believe that he would do it. He never bluffed, not in his life, and they still had a mission to complete.

Stifling the urge to growl, she lowered her weapon, letting Zaeed storm pass her and knock the frightened human unconscious with the butt of his rifle. "Get over here and get the automated defenses reprogrammed!" The asari stood motionless seething with anger. "Now, Aran!"

Huffing, the enraged asari took a seat and went to work. Zaeed watched the live feed from mechs, seeing several of their men being gunned down by heavy chain fire and rocket barrages. As soon as Aranya finished breaking through the system's firewalls and deep encryptions, the mechs shutdown momentarily to reboot and establish new protocols. When they came back on, the two watched with pleasure as the machines turned their fire on the Blue Suns personnel, annihilating everything in their wake.

Aranya stood and loaded a fresh thermal clip in her pistol. "Let's not dance just yet, we got one more stop to make. "

"Vido… Well then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go get the bastard!"

…

"Shepard… Shepard, come on man!" Garrus ruffled the shoulders of his unconscious commander who was sitting slumped over in an alley. "Come on, buddy, snap out of it!"

It had been nearly 12 hours since the spectre had answered his com-link which aroused suspicion from Miranda and the rest of the crew. Therefore, she had sullenly requested that the turian follow up on her concerned notion. Though after witnessing Tali storm through the halls of the Normandy to the elevator, practically leaving craters with each step, he assumed they had had a falling out of sorts. When he tried to stop her, she had said something like, "Garrus, kiss my…" the last word didn't translate very well; most likely a derogatory term in khelish.

"Crap…" Shepard wouldn't budge. Whatever he drank, it was disagreeing with him in more than one way. "Alright, sorry to get physical here, commander, but…" with a gloved hand Garrus slapped the spectre on the right cheek, instantly leaving a red, turian hand-print. Shepard remained reactionless.

"Ah hell…" Garrus said as he cocked his hand back for another blow. Just as he swung, Shepard grabbed him by the wrist.

"Hit me again, and I'll make that slur, 'skull face,' literal for you." Garrus began helping the hung-over commander to his feet, supporting the smaller human on his shoulder.

"Damn, Shepard. I can't decide when you were more messed up, now, or after that run-in with the Collectors. "

"Ugh…just shut up and get me back to the ship. I got something you all need to see…"

…

Once back inside the Normandy, Garrus hauled Shepard into the tech lab per his request, Mordin, strangely being absent. Shepard at least expected the salarian to be watching over the growth progression of their Prothean specimen. The eccentric salarian had apparently thrown a cloth covering over the breeding tank, stating that the alien was sensitive to light in its current state of gestation.

Garrus helped the weary commander over to the desk and set him down in a chair, the human spectre slouched and let his head fall back. "How many fingers am I holding up, Shepard?" the turian asked, extended the only two fingers he had.

"Ugh… Two?" Shepard replied, massaging his forehead. "I'm not that out-of-it, Garrus…"

"Just making sure you didn't kill all your brain cells, commander. Now, you want to tell me what happened out there?" Miranda barged into the room just as Shepard opened his mouth to speak.

"Shepard, it's been 6 hours since you last checked in! We thought something happened…" the former Cerberus operative paused upon seeing the bruises on either side of the spectre's face; one from Garrus, and a deep purple one from Tali. "What happened to your face?"

"Ask me when I can actually hear you through this throbbing in my head, and why are the lights so damn bright?" Miranda looked to Garrus who scratched the back of his neck and shrugged.

"Whatever, Garrus said you had something to report?"

"That and a whole lot more…" the spectre reached into his uniform and delivered Roman Able's data pad to the irritated woman. She began glancing over it, confusion becoming more evident on her features with each second she studied it.

"This is… That's impossible… Where did you get this? Who gave it to you?" She finally asked. He well expected her to react in such a way. It was hard for him to accept as well. Garrus on the other hand, remained oblivious, waiting for an explanation.

"A new acquaintance of ours, Roman Able, he claims this information validly points to corruption within citadel security as well as the ambassador to earth and his staff. " The spectre straightened himself in his seat.

"Let me get this straight, the man suspected of stealing the body of councilor Anderson, a man we know next to nothing about, wants you to believe that ambassador Udina is a Cerberus agent?" Garrus asked with a quizzical expression.

"Not me Garrus, all of us. If the data is telling the truth, then there's a high likelihood that it was the illusive man who conspired to have Anderson killed. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the why."

"There is one possible reason for his plot. Because the ambassador represents humanity on a prestigious level, second only to the late councilor, by right of succession, he would the one to take his place as the next human councilor…" Miranda said as she paced around the room; arms folded together.

"…And thereby giving Cerberus a foothold among the galactic leaders and control over humanity and all its interests!" Garrus exclaimed, walking over to stand beside Miranda.

Shepard found the strength to stand up, leaning on the desk for support. "If that's their plan, then we need to do everything in our power to make sure they don't succeed. For now, we need to keep this information between us. Anyone else we involve could be put at serious risk."

"Agreed, we need to acquire hard evidence that will prove Udina's involvement in the assassination. Otherwise, it won't be long before they decide to…" Miranda paused. A deep humming sound emanated from the Prothean orb sitting on the desk. They watched in pure awe as it hovered a few feet off the table before blurring its way over in front of the breeding tank. An excessive tapping on the glass came from inside the tank, getting louder and heavier by the second. "What is that?"

Shepard cautiously stepped over to the tank, stopping inches from it. With one swift motion, he pulled the cloth covering down and quickly stepped back, nearly falling down in the process from the shock. There, standing in the tank, was a much larger than before, Prothean in a hysteric state of panic and glowing with a blue aura."

"Get Mordin, get…" A biotic shockwave interrupted her as it exploded from inside the tank, sending shattered the glass everywhere and knocking the three off their feet.

Shepard lay on floor, tiny shards of glass on his clothing. His vision grew dark as he struggled to remain conscious. Hearing soft footsteps in front of him, he slowly looked up with blurred vision at the extremely tall creature that stood over him. It said only three words as it stared down at him.

"I am…reborn."


	52. Ch52: Ksad Ishan

Darkness crept in the corner of his vision as he struggled to remain conscious. Shepard felt the pain in his pulverized back, his aching head, and churning of his insides which he felt had been turned to soup by the biotic surge. It was becoming an unfavorable trend, finding himself on his back at the most inappropriate times, this being the latest. He made an unsuccessful attempt at clearing up his vision by lifting his head and let it fall limp with a thud on the metal floor. A blurry shape stood over him and in that moment realization washed over him and the events of the last few minutes came flooding back to him. He tensed up, his vision instantly coming into focus to gaze upon the enigmatic figure standing over him, a figure that filled him with the purest sense of shock and awe. For its height, which he pondered to be around eight feet, it had an incredibly slender body build with a smooth stringy texture to its skin. Its arms were just as thin as were its legs, which made up most of its height. Long, thick tendrils extended from its head, chest, back, and legs in seemingly random spots that made its body look as if it were covered in a mess of loose wiring. Its most striking feature were its eyes, large and as black as the void of space with tiny yellow pupils that appeared as stars in the night sky.

The Prothean kneeled down to him and said in its native tongue, "You are the one…" slowly it reached out to touch him while its body flared up in a biotic aura. The instant its index finger connected with the forehead the nightmarish visions of the past ignited in his mind like a wild fire. His body jerked and convulsed as he struggled with each breath of air. Suddenly, all at once, there was a loud clunk and he was back in the lab with a very distressed Miranda standing over an unconscious prothean. She looked to Shepard and offered her hand.

"Are you alright, commander?" Garrus rushed to his side and with Miranda's assistance, helped the spectre to his feet.

"That was a heavy kick you just took, Shepard. What did it do to you?" Shepard glanced at the turian in response to his question. He blinked several times, trying to clear the images from his eyes.

"I saw…them, just as I did when I interacted with the beacons. I think it knew about me. I don't know how but it did." Miranda kneeled down beside the prothean and nudged it several times with her pistol.

"We can figure that out when it wakes up. In the meantime we should get this…" the former Cerberus operative paused and gave the limp alien a kick, "…thing locked down in the med bay for analysis."

…

After the hefty task of getting the alien into the med bay, Shepard, along with Doctor Chakwas' help, had the prothean safely fastened and secured to one of the medical tables with an erected force field for extra control. Two had to be used to support the height of the alien. While it remained asleep, Chakwas proceeded to run a full medical work-up and other unorthodox testing, making sure to close the shutters on the windows to avoid distraction from the nosey onlookers of the crew. Shepard stood by eagerly awaiting the exotic alien to regain consciousness.

"Doctor Chakwas," he needed in greeting. "How's the patient?" Chakwas turned away from her computer and looked to him to answer.

"From what I've gathered, it appears to be in good health. But I'm quite overwhelmed by the complexity of its physiology." She pointed to chart on the screen. "These readouts indicate a significant amount of brainwave activity, almost twice that of any known species even in its state of dream. Nothing alive could maintain this level of neural activity without risking seizure or worse. It's unlike anything I've ever encountered." Shepard walked over the medical bed staring down at the prothean.

"So what exactly does that tell us about them?"

"For one thing, they're capacity for intelligence exceeds even the asari. From your experience, I would also say that its potential in biotics is beyond our understanding."

Shepard traced his fingers along the arm of the alien, surprised to find that despite its smooth texture, it had a leathery feel to it. "When it woke up, it said something to me. It said I was the one…" he turned to the doctor and asked, "What do you think?"

"I think you should ask it yourself," Chakwas replied, pointing to the prothean that began to stir. Shepard quickly turned back to the alien, staring suspiciously. It opened its eyes and scanned the room before fixing its gaze on the human spectre. Both were silent for a while.

"Can you understand me?" he asked. A strange sense of deja-vu came with his question.

"Yes," there was a familiar simple answer to a simple question. The alien glanced at its arms and legs, seeing the shackles that secured it to the bed. "Are these restraints really necessary?" Shepard circled the bed as he replied.

"For now they are. You already attacked us once and I'm not willing to risk the chance that you might do so again." Chakwas remained unaware of the nature of the conversation. Only Shepard could understand the prothean language, courtesy of the beacons.

"If you were to awake and find yourself confined to a nutrient tank, would you not be just as likely to overreact, young human?" it replied back, following the spectre in its gaze.

"I can't say I've never been in a similar situation. But that's far from what I want to discuss." He could not quite place it, but there was something oddly familiar about its voice. "You look like you understand me perfectly so I'd like you to tell me what you meant when you said I was the one."

The prothean tested its restraints. "Release me and I will be happy to explain myself," it replied. Despite its current circumstance, there was no anger in its tone or on its features. It was like talking to an emotionless automaton. He suspected its demand to be a ruse for it to employ another biotic attack. "Human, I have exchanged memories with you. I know everything you know and I understand why I am here. I give you my word I will not bring any harm upon you or your kinsmen."

Shepard became silent, pondering. Now he remembered what was causes that overwhelming sense of deja-vu. It made him think back to when he first brought Legion aboard and—after a quick interrogation—allowed the geth platform to join his crew. There was no sense in trusting a prothean clone less than a member of the geth collective. For all he knew the alien could surprise him, or bite him in the ass later, but he was willing to take that risk. They had already come this far.

Bringing his omni-tool online, he deactivated the force field with a few inputs and then unlocked the metal restraints. The prothean sat to massage its sore, slim wrists before sliding off the table and standing in an awkward, hunched over stance that he assumed was natural for a species of such tremendous height. "Thank you." It said with a nod. "Now as I promised…" It inhaled deeply. "The relic you recovered on one of your missions, the one that belonged to my people, it is a databank designed to transmit, receive, and store. When you first touched it, it downloaded your memories into its database, transferring them to me when I awoke. I know that you are Commander Shepard, captain of the Normandy and the first human spectre. I know of your conflict with the reapers and your defeat of Sovereign at the citadel two years ago. But most importantly, I know that you were able to access the beacons left behind by my people."

Shepard took a step back. "What makes that so important? Saren was also able to use the beacons without any trouble."

"The one you call Saren was able to exchange with the beacons because of his connection to Nazara," the prothean replied, leaning in closely to the human dramatically. "In truth, it would have destroyed him as it would have with you."

"Are you saying he is somehow connected to the reapers?" Chakwas interjected. The prothean turned to with a curious expression as if he had thought her to be mute. The thought slipped him that he had been speaking in human tongue since awakening.

"It's not quite that simple. When we realized that we were losing our war with the reapers, we knew we had to devise a plan to preserve a warning to the races that would eventually inherit the galaxy though we had no way of doing so because only a prothean mind could survive interaction with the beacons. That was what drew us to you. During the reign of the Prothean Empire we studied many primitive races, yours was among them. Ksad Ishan, director of the Ilos facility, theorized that the vast DNA variations of your people would allow us to make a slight genetic modification that would grant humans the ability to survive the transfer process with the beacons. They approved the procedure and performed it on a small number of test subjects, pleased to find that most had survived. Thus the gene was passed down through many generations and therefore…" the prothean reached out and nudged the commander's chest with its a finger, "to you."

"So what, I have prothean in me? Am even human?" By now Shepard's heart had almost stopped. It was one revelation after another with this strange being.

The alien continued, "In a sense, yes you are, but you are also human. The genetic code is so small that it would have gone unnoticed by your scientists. You may very well be the last of the carriers. That is why the reapers were so interested in your body. They wished to know as well how you accessed the beacons and lived."

"I have to admit that I'm thoroughly convinced that you're telling the truth," and though he never expected to be persuaded so quickly, something inside him said that it was ok to trust the prothean regardless of proof of allegiance. There were still a few questions, though they could wait until the appropriate time. Right now, he had to decide what to do with it now that it was awake. "If you know everything I know, then you know that the Sovereign got his hands on an age old super-weapon."

"Indeed I fully comprehend the gravity of your predicament, little human, and I am prepared to serve my purpose as your aid in the coming war." There was a hint of sincerity in its voice, finally something that confirmed it was not a hollow shell of nothingness.

Alright, that just leaves one thing left," Shepard stepped closer to the prothean, looking straight into its hypnotizing yellow eyes. "What do I call you?"

"An identity was not among the images in my imprint, but I would prefer to be addressed by the name of my creator who's genetics were used to bore me," In a move that took the spectre off guard, the prothean lowered itself onto both knees, folded both arms together, and bowed. "I am Ksad Ishan, and I am sworn to assist you in any manner you require so as I live, or my purpose be completed." Now he recalled, the voice, the tone, the mannerisms, even the name. Vigil had mentioned the original Ksad to be director of the Illos facility, the one who oversaw the development of the conduit. The prothean AI must have taken its voice from no other than the same Ksad, and therefore to his clone.

"It's an honor and a privilege to have you under my command, Ksad." The prothean stood to see the human offering to shake his hand. Were it not for the memory exchange he would not have known what it meant. He engulfed the human's tiny hand in his own large one and shook it awkwardly. "I'd offer you a quarters but the crew deck is full and you're too big to fit into the cryo-tubes. For now you'll have to resign to sleeping here in the med bay."

"I am grateful, but your hospitality is not required, Shepard." Ksad looked to the doctor and nodded before focusing back on the human spectre. "Now I believe I have an appointment with your Mordin Solus. I fear I will see my skin decay before my very eyes unless I have my growth enzyme neutralized."

"Granted, I'll send for him and tell him to expect you." Shepard did an once-over of the prothean. "I apologize in advance for any strange looks you may get from my crew. We have been studying the remains of your race for decades. This is quite a shock for all of us. It may be best that I escort you there myself."

"Of course," Ksad replied. Though he knew the ship's layout already, it was still a little frightening to awake in such a new and different world. "Please, lead and I will follow."

…

Shepard sighed heavily letting the back of his headrest against the wall. He took in several deep breaths feeling his heart rate slow and the tension in his muscles relax. A few hours had flown by after since his discussion with Ksad. Mordin has returned to the tech lab to find the prothean and the human spectre waiting for. The salarian genius was ecstatic if not a little wary with his new lab assistant, though he was confident that their combined efforts would yield many solutions on their current Sovereign problem. The salarian became quite annoyed a few times when he tried to explain the facts of their situation only to find that the prothean had already acquired all the knowledge from Shepard's shared memories. No scientist likes to have his sentences finished, especially by someone of superior intelligence.

It was only now that Shepard was alone did he feel the weight of the passed twenty-four hours bearing down on him. He reached for the burn mark on his neck and winced slightly from the sting. Roman Able, the apparent masked marauder of this story was real enigma to him. Before today, he had never heard the name or even met the man, and now he conveniently appears from out of the blue with information that could very well break the case concerning Anderon's murder. He was he, a bounty hunter, mercenary, or God forbid, a spectre? There was so much that did not add up. How had he come into possession of the data? If it was indeed, Armando Bailey that discovered the data, then where was he now? Had this shrouded man perhaps kidnapped or worse, killed him? There was also the matter of the forged documents he used to steel the councilor's corpse. It would take an expert—no—a genius to forge the council's electronic signature. This man was clearly a pro who had this charade planned down to the last detail.

Of course, even his current complications could not build a dam high enough to hold by the river of angst that spilled from his broken heart. Tali, he knew it was only a matter of time before they had their first marital fight, but he never expected it to hurt so much. The words he used… he acted as if she had never endured through the loss of a loved one when in fact she had more than three times now. The words of their argument echoed off the walls in his mind, replaying repeatedly only fueling the anger he felt, anger toward himself. He did not mean it, did he? He was drunk after all, how could he possibly have meant it. Whatever the excuse, he could not stop mentally punishing himself. She was right to strike him out of his stupor. He deserved it and he knew it as well as she did. However, there was an old saying about 'trouble in paradise' situations, "_Never go to bed with a grudge,"_ with that in mind, he boarded the elevator and waited for it to arrive at the cabin. He hoped she would be willing to listen.

"_Here goes nothing…," _he thought. With a soft chime, the hatch opened. He gathered his wits and courage with a single deep breath and took his first steps onto the Normandy's first deck. His heart felt heavier with each step toward as if it would fall into his gut. He hesitantly reached for the hologram only to have it buzz and turn red, signifying his denied entry.

"Commander, Tali'Zorah was very specific that I was not to allow you access to the cabin," EDI spoke. Now this was getting silly, he felt like he was in a bad romantic comedy where the wife would use her girlfriends as a barrier from her husband. This was his ship and he was not going to go to sleep without having this issue resolved.

"I know EDI, but I have to make things right with her. As your captain, I'm ordering you to open this door," EDI became silent, leaving Shepard waiting dumbly for a response. "EDI… EDI!" he sighed sullenly and reached out to knock on the door but stopped himself. Maybe it was best that he gave her time to heal, to cope. Tali was a strong individual mentally and physically, but emotionally she was very sensitive. An application of medi-gel would not fix a wound like that.

Lowering his arm to his side, he resigned himself to leaving her to her thoughts for the night. He walked back to the elevator, head sunk and downtrodden. He prayed this incident would not break the bond they swore to one another on the Neema. Either way, he was most likely sleeping in the med bay tonight. He hoped protheans did not snore…

* * *

_Hope you all enjoyed my depiction of a prothean. I used the statues on Ilos as a reference and tried to keep the description as close as possible. R&R please! Tell me what you think! Also, I know my chapters are getting shorter, but it makes it easier to write and quicker to update. Next chapter I will try to finish up Zaeed and Aranya's story arc.  
_


	53. Ch53: Dealing With The Devil

_**A/N: **I'm back bitches! Long semester, academic probation, yada yada yada. Enjoy the new chapter (FINALLY) and I'll do my best to update ASAP. As always please R&R!  
_

* * *

After a semi-successful hacking attempt, Aranya managed to get the blast doors ajar. Zaeed quickly placed himself between the shudders and pushed, allowing for just enough space to slip through. He made a gesture with his head and Aranya slipped under his arms to the other side and Zaeed followed though without any leverage to hold them open, the blast doors sealed behind them. Aranya assured him there would be no second attempt at hacking the door should they wish to turn back. The structure's security systems had already taken a massive beating from the constant firefights between the Blue Suns and Aria's goons.

They were in a large, dome-shaped room. It would have been pitch black save for the lights on the catwalks above that provided source of illumination. It was quiet to the point that their own footsteps echoed along the metal walls. Though it was the deepest point in the structure and possibly Vido's only place to make a last stand, it appeared deserted. With rifles held to their shoulders, they scanned every inch of the room for a possible ambush.

They didn't get far before laser sights belonging to several long ranged rifles leveled on them. A centerpiece light on the ceiling now lit the entire room. Two Blue Suns marksman held their rifles on the each of them while more troopers clad in blue armor spilled out from the entrance on far end of the room and across the catwalks as well. The mercenaries all took careful aim and waited as someone followed in their wake.

"Zaeed, you persistent bastard! You really do exist just to make my life hell don't you?" Vido growled. He walked to the forefront of his lackeys and pointed an accusatory finger at the bounty hunter.

Zaeed huffed and replied, "I do my best, though it looks like my men and those mechs of yours we managed to reprogram are doing a better job of that." Aranya managed a smirk at his comment.

Vido scowled just as the muffled sound of an explosion was heard and the room rocked shortly after. "You're not getting out of here the way you came in, Vido. No one would blame you if you threw in the towel right now."

"If I have to die, I'm going to make damn sure I have the satisfaction of killing you first!" Vido yelled and quickly drew his pistol aiming it directly at Zaeed. The bounty hunter and asari reacted and took aim with their own weapons at the desperate mercenary commander.

The three continued their standoff as the room rocked once again. "I've got more guns than you and your whore, Zaeed! Drop your weapons and maybe I'll keep you both alive as hostages and escape this crumbling hell hole.

"I could kill you with just one pull of this trigger, Vido, and we both know I'm the better shot." Zaeed retorted.

"True enough, but my mine will turn you into grinded meat as soon as that hammer goes back."

"I'm willing to make that sacrifice if I have to."

"You are, but what about you Aranya, willing to die for his grudge?"

The asari glared daggers at the man. "As far as I'm concerned, the both of you are whiny ass holes. I just happen to hate _you_ more."

"Fine then! I'll enjoy putting a bullet in that one good eye of yours Messani-" Just before he could achieve an aim on the bounty hunters head, the blast doors by which Zaeed and Aranya entered shrieked as they were contorted and bent before being thrown forward. Behold, the queen of omega, eyes glowing blue and shrouded in biotic aura, emerged with Anto and his henchman following behind.

"That eye and the head it's connected to just so happen to belong to me, Santiago." Aria announced. _Damn she has good hearing_, he thought. Vido's men redirected their weapons to Aria and her men in another desperate standoff.

Aria remained composed. "Now, now, I'd like to make an offer that will work in the interest of everyone here…" Everyone in the room shared glances with their comrades before she continued. "Five-hundred million credits to the one that brings me Vido Santiago alive..."

Knowing they were at a disadvantage, outnumbered by the omega queen's men and their own mechs, the Blue Suns troopers knew that soon they would either be sitting in cell block in omega, or six feet under on their own turf. With nothing left for them under Santiago's leadership, they turned their weapons on him. Vido shuddered upon witnessing his own men betray him.

"Who the hell do you think you're all aiming at! I can double what she's paying you!" Vido yelled frantically. "What are you all doing, answer me!"

Aranya stepped over to him and collected his pistol as his own men restrained him. "Money talks, Vido. What you pay them won't mean a thing if they're all dead." She walked back over to Zaeed and handed him the pistol. Zaeed stared hard at the weapon before making his way over to Vido who was desperately struggling in the arms of his captors and made a gestured towards the troopers to release him.

Vido stared level eyed at Zaeed. "Come on, Zaeed, you got what you wanted." Zaeed came within inches of his face and stared into his very soul with fury built up over twenty years.

"Not quite…" Zaeed pistol whipped him across the face causing him to stagger while holding his broken nose. He then kicked Vido to the ground, straddled him and began beating him to a pulp with his gloved fists, unleashing every bit of anger he had felt every day of his life since the day his was betrayed, venting his rage for every time the flash of that pistol appeared in his nightmares. A minute later Zaeed relented and stood up, breathing heavenly from exhausting vengeance. Zaeed stared down at the once untouchable leader of the Blue Suns. Pathetic, bloody, bruised, and utterly defeated. Coughing up blood, Vido was a swollen wreck, no more a threat than a sickly pijack.

Picking up the pistol once again, Zaeed slowly and carefully took precise aim at his sworn enemy, leveling the blue colored laser sight on his forehead. After two decades of planning his vengeance, fantasizing all the different ways he could sadistically torture the man who stole his life's work, it all came down to one simple pull of a trigger.

Vido looked up at him through his one eye that wasn't swollen. "T…Taking your time, old dog? That's not like you…Just…g-get it over with…" Zaeed bared his teeth, feeling tremors in his hands he failed to keep his aim steady. It really did all come down to this, but now that he was here, looking down upon this speck of human trash, he felt a sudden sense of satisfaction. Letting out a breadth he hadn't known he had been holding, he lowered the pistol to his side. Aranya, surprised, though understanding came to his side and gingerly relieved him of the pistol. The Blue Suns troopers picked up the beaten heap that was Vido Santiago and hauled him away while Zaeed quietly stared at the floor.

Aria walked over and stood impatiently with one hand on her hip. "I've held up my end. Can I expect the same from you?"

Zaeed looked over at her and after a moment replied, "I pay my debts, love. You want me to be your new poster boy, so be it."

Aria grinned and turned towards the exit. "Good, after all, you do need some way to pay back that five-hundred million you owe me…" With that she stalked off after Anto who lead the rest of his men outside. With the room cleared, Zaeed now turned to Aranya, the one person left in the galaxy he had unresolved issues with.

"All that big boy talk of revenge and you couldn't even pull the trigger. What changed?"

Zaeed let out a soft chuckle. "Guess it takes losing an eye to look at things in a new perspective…" Though he wouldn't say it, she understood. Vido was nothing when you took away his guns and goons. Killing him there, on the floor would have been no different than shooting an insect; a waste of ammo. "How about you, Aran, dissatisfied you weren't able to avenge that senator's pup?

Aranya suddenly burst out laughing. "You really believed that pathetic sob story? I threw that together on the spot!" To her surprise, he just smiled back at her.

"I know you did, love. I did some digging around on the extra-net. Illium has yet to have a Salarian senator." Aranya was dumbfounded. She has expected him to switch into grumpy mode as soon as had heard that. "That's all fine by me though. Job's done. I do have to ask why the bloody hell you stuck with me this far?

Aranya put her hands on her hips and grinned wide. "Ever think that maybe I just missed you?"

Zaeed shook his head and sighed. "There's the crazy wench I fell head over heels for." The two stood in awkward silence, reminiscing over cherished memories, if you consider target practice on batarian slavers with one another good memories…

Aranya slowly looked up at him, having not realized her gaze had drifted to the floor for some time. "So…" she started. "Where do we go from here?"

…

_Nothing…_

Thane had been playing stalking Udina for hours and thus far, there was little to no activity or at least nothing that struck him as out of the ordinary for man in a position of power. Observing the human ambassador's daily routine revealed that the man was involved with many meetings ranging from delegations to negotiations, everything you'd expect from a politician.

Shortly after becoming the first drell to witness the rebirth of a prothean, Thane knew that the crew's attention, and that of Shepard's, would be redirected to their primary objective to seek out and destroy the lone reaper, Sovereign. If Udina was indeed monitoring their activity, maybe Shepard's occupation with their prothean guest would cause the human ambassador to lower his guard and possibly slip-up, if he was in fact guilty. He hadn't informed Shepard. He knew his commander would only insist on aiding him and if the drell was caught, he wanted to be sure he would be the only one to go down. Shepard's part in all of this was far too crucial.

Originally the plan was to break into Udina's office and hack his computer to get a closer inspection of personal data files. However, if he was a double agent working under the flag of Cerberus, surely he would be more careful than that. It was entirely possible that he didn't keep any incriminating files on record. Relying on his many years of experience as an elite assassin, Thane assumed that like his past targets, Udina would most likely keep that sensitive information on his person. Thus the drell opted to shadow the human and wait for his opportunity to come.

He reared up on the human ambassador, dodging pedestrians and being aware to keep his distance should his presence be made known. Udina had recently exited an expensive citadel restaurant after enjoying a hearty meal. _Maybe the last one you'll ever have, _the drell thought to himself.

Using the interface built into his shades, Thane marked the ambassador and the two human bodyguards who followed closely behind the human as a cautionary measure to prevent himself from losing sight of them in the bustle of civilian activity. He followed them through the lower markets to the night club Chora's den. A fortunate circumstance since it would allow him to blend in with the patrons seamlessly.

The Krogan bouncer stopped the ambassador at the entrance, telling him that his bodyguards would have to wait outside so long as they carried weapons, a new safety measure he claimed after a particular incident that occurred two years ago. Udina showed the bouncer his credentials and the Krogan apologized with before stepping aside to allow them entry. Thane followed closely, letting the bouncer run an omni-tool scan on him to check for weapons. The Krogan gave a nod acknowledging a clean scan though Thane put on a faint smile of pride, knowing how good he was at masking his pistols from detection.

Thane sat down on a stool at the bar and silently observed as Udina took a seat at a table in the far corner. What he found interesting was that the person sitting across from him. He recognized him as the man lifted the glass in his cybernetic hand.

Quickly Thane brought up his omni-tool and sent a silent hack to Udina's omni-tool that would allow him to hear their conversation through the ear pieces in his shades. "Look, what do you want me to say? This guy came in with clearance signed by the damn council! What was I supposed to do, pull rank?"

Udina scowled at Nidas. "I would have expected you to make a thorough analysis of the authorization before granting anyone access! I told you specifically to lock that place down from everyone but Shepard to avoid his suspicion!"

"The council doesn't exactly have a hotline I can call for authentication. If it were anyone else-" the executor didn't get the chance to finish before Udina interrupted.

"If it _were_ anyone else you wouldn't have singlehandedly jeopardized our operation! Without the body, we have no evidence and therefore, no conviction!"

"What's the problem? Even without the body there's no way Shepard can put us in the spotlight. I worked out every detail, they're no leaks."

"Fool! It matters because without the body this case will remain open until the council has found their culprit! We cannot match the rifle to the gunshot wound if there is no body with which it can be matched!"

"It's not a problem. We have the infiltrator's alias registered in the c-sec database. I have every officer on the citadel out searching for _Roman Able_. Course' I'd find him faster if you would just inform the boss and get him to send me some real muscle."

Udina became noticeably nervous at the mention of the Illusive Man. "He doesn't need to be bothered with small errors. I have everything under control. Now get back to work, find this Roman Able and bring him in for questioning. I want to know who's he's working for and if he has had any prior contact with Commander Shepard."

With that, Udina sat up and hastily walked out of the night club with his bodyguards. Thane waited several minutes for Nidas to follow and then left to return to the Normandy. He had reasonable evidence but nothing that could warrant an arrest. He needed them to openly admit their involvement with Cerberus and they were careful enough to not discuss the organization in public. For now he would return with what he had gathered and hopefully be able to use it in the future.

…

"Sir, our front in the Crescent Nebula was raided by Alliance special forces. Any and all personnel on site were either captured or killed in the assault."

The Illusive Man put out his cigarette and lit a fresh one before replying. "I see…and you did take the proper precautions to prevent any data from being traced back to Cerberus I presume?"

The holographic image of the man clad in Cerberus combat armor flickered as the soldier gave a nod. "Yes sir, I saw too it myself. As far as the Alliance military is concerned, they're just a bunch of smugglers who 'happened' to end up dead shortly after being apprehended."

"Good. Devote your resources to discovering the spies within our networks. I don't want any more lose ends. Am I understood, colonel?"

"Yes sir, I'll flush them out and report back…you…" the image become distorted with interference and was then replaced with red colored hologram of an all too familiar warship."

"**Greetings Jack Harper**." The image spoke in deep malicious voice that reverberated through the room.

The Illusive Man dropped his cigarette, startled but composed. "That man died nearly thirty years ago."

"**And yet I look upon him even him… Living flesh and blood…"**

"I am called the Illusive Man now. I assume I'm speaking to reaper sentinel known as Sovereign? So, what business does the emissary of the reapers' coming have with me?"

"**It is as you have said. The time of our next harvest is almost upon you. You cannot stop the arrival, Shepard cannot stop us. Only those who pledge fealty to us will remain. Those who oppose us will become but dust.**"

The Illusive Man stood up from his chair and walked closer to the hologram. "And what is it you want from me?"

"**You, your people, you desire supremacy over this galaxy and its creatures. We can deliver it to you. In return we would only ask for your allegiance. And when this galaxy has been purged, you will rise as the dominant ruler over all humans."**

"**So, we ask you, Jack Harper, do we have your submission?"**


	54. Preview Ch54: Standoff

**A/N: **_Hey everyone! Long time no read eh? Yeah I know you're probably like "F—k you man! Where have you been!" and I deserve it. Been real busy with new job and college but I am happy to say that I am finished for the semester and will try to continue this story throughout the summer! Anyway, here's a preview of my next chapter. Still a work in progress, but I figured my readers deserved to know that I still care. Enjoy! =)_

…

Ksad Ishan sighed, irked that his movements had been firmly restricted to the 3rd deck of the ship the small human captain called Normandy. The living space was small, the food was terrible, and the ceiling was too low for what his fairly tall people were used to, making him feel claustrophobic. What's more, the different species of crew seemed quite comfortable with being around aliens. Something protheans weren't accustomed to being they were the only space faring race of their time. On top of that, they all wore the strangest clothing, even the turian who opted to wear nothing but battle armor, meanwhile the one who called herself 'Chambers' had acquired him sapphire colored robes meant for a tall turian. The neck was a little big and hung loosely on his shoulders but it was more than enough to give him a sense of decency.

Ksad slouched forward on the medical bed, trying to find a comfortable position. Despite the feelings of imprisonment, he had found a kindred spirit in the ships chief science officer who introduced himself as 'Mordin Solus.' He was even able to have quite an intellectual conversion with the ships AI. Everyone else he labeled as either foreign, or obnoxiously unintelligent. Captain Shepard, however, appeared to possess a great wisdom and strength of heart, though the human's cross-species marriage with the quarian, Tali'Zorah, was both puzzling and intriguing at the same time.

To help counter the boredom, Ksad had been allowed the use of a datapad to view the extranet and learn about the technologies and cultures of the current cycle. The device hovered inches from his glowing eyes turned luminescent by his biotic power. Faint ripples in space faded in and out of existence with each invisible key stroke. The aged human woman arched a curious brow at his unknowing display of power then shrugged and turned back to her computer. He found this cycle's knowledge of biotics so primitive when measured to that of the empire.

The human commander known by the crew as 'Shepard' entered even as he resumed his studying and came to stand within his personal space.

"Fifty thousand years and you have only managed to evolve half as much as the protheans. I hope you can forgive my cynicism when I say that your odds of survival when the reapers arrive are nonexistent." Ksad said nonchalantly.

Shepard crossed his arms defensively. "That's why we birthed you. If you have information concerning their technology, their weaknesses, we need to know it and we need to know it now."

"In that case, you'll be disappointed to know that the sheer amount of data stored in my memory imprints will take time to access, at this point I only have access to my identity and personality imprints."

_I could live without the personality, _Shepard thought as Ksad continued. "Even if I were able to collaborate, your divided governments and societies would most likely make any solution of survival difficult."

"You'd be surprised what the races of this galaxy are capable of given the chance to stand for something." Shepard countered. "Maybe you can't help us with a permanent solution right now, but if you've seen my memories then you know what happened at Capek. We need a better way to track these weapons."

Ksad turned to Shepard, intrigued. "I do have extensive knowledge of the ancient races from cycles past accessible from my imprints. Your frigate's agonizingly primitive sensors may prove to be a challenge to upgrade however."

"This frigate…" Shepard started, feeling offended at the condescending comment made about _his _ship, "is called Normandy, and it's saved me and my crew from missions thought impossible by many. It might do you some good by the crew to remember that."

"The sentiment you adhere to a lifeless object such as your ship is trivial, but I will do as you say if it will avoid any more 'quarrels' with your people." Ksad said unaffected by the human's sternness.

As if on cue, EDI chimed in with a slight sultry voice that started even the ancient prothean. "For the record, _this _ship is not a lifeless object. It is a part of me, and I a part of it."

"An Artificial Intelligence construct housed in the mainframe of a space-faring vessel?" the prothean said, wide eyed, "Are all the species of this cycle as ignorant and foolish as this vessel's makers?"

_I say the same thing about his makers out loud if I didn't know he could turn me inside out with a single thought!" _the human spectre scowled mentally while Ksad stared at him blankly. Though he didn't consider himself a "body reader," analyzing the body language of this prothean was proving impossible. Regardless of what words were being relayed, Ksad's tone never changed, it was no different than speaking to the Citadel VI Avina. With no change in expression whatsoever, Shepard wagered that Ksad could rival even Tali's 'poker face' and she wore a helmet!

Tali… If only he shared the trust she held for him with her emotional wellbeing, maybe he wouldn't be sleeping in a cryo-pod tonight…

…

"Ambassador, a word if you please…"

"Of course, Councilor Velarn. Please, sit?" Udina casually laid both arms in front of him on his desk making a polite hand gesture toward the chair in front of him.

"I am Turian, ambassador, we prefer to stand." Velarn said holding his head high with arms folded behind him.

"Forgive me if I offended. Now, what can I do for you this evening?" Udina asked lacing his fingers together, masking the suspicion from his features. The turian councilor began to pace, making brief sidelong glances to make note of the human ambassador's reactions.

"I want to address the unanswered questions surrounding our current predicament, namely the missing corpse of David Anderson." Udina quirked an eyebrow at this.

"_Our_ predicament, councilor? I feel that the late councilor's death is more an issue of the human race, why concern yourself?" Velarn's pacing briefly paused while he glared at the human.

"Because, _ambassador…_" It was pleasing to remind the human of his place, "an attack on one member of the citadel council proves a very real threat to all its members as well as the state of galactic security at large. The people will demand truth, and I intend to discover it if it will prevent social unrest or worse, a war based on fear."

Udina leaned back in his chair, barely stifling a wicked smirk. "Point made. Indeed the races invested in this council deserve to have their feelings of safety restored. I will be meeting with the Alliance leaders in a few days to discuss throwing our resources toward the investigation. I plan to address the people of earth shortly after. Executor Nidas believes the assassin's recovered weapon will provide the breakthrough we need."

"I should hope so, but onto current matters. Humanity lacks a representative on the council, it seems that leaves you in a 'convenient' position doesn't it, ambassador?"

"Perhaps…" Udina muttered.

"And it should also be noted that with the councilor's body stolen, we are left without our most conclusive evidence…" Now that was the reaction Velarn was looking for. Udina narrowed his eyes, the mask shrouding his suspicious features fading.

"Elaborate please…"

Velarn stopped his pacing to lean over Udina's desk. "If the assassination plot were the work of radicals or terrorists, they would have openly claimed responsibility in order to have their plight recognized, and the lack of physical evidence as well as the proficiency in which the task was carried out, suggests that the work of common mercenaries is unlikely…" Velarn placed both arms on the desk, cornering Udina like wounded animal.

"Which leaves only one explanation, ambassador…" In that instant, Velarn drew a pistol, "a sleeper agent, desperately sweeping away the foot prints in the sand!"

Udina seemed unphased by the turian councilor's move, narrowing his eyes menacingly. "I think you've been reading too much into your biased suspicions, councilor Velarn."

"On the contrary, the only thing I've been reading is this…" Velarn drew out a datapad and carelessly let it drop in front of the human. Udina made several quick glances between the confronting turian and the object, eying it like a roach crawling across his desk fated to be squashed, then carefully picked up it and sifted through its contents.

"I know you recognize these." Velarn said watching the humans eyes glow from the light of the datapad.

"This information was found on former executor Palin's person after he died. Fabricated, all of it!"

"Palin discreetly sent be a copy of the contents, documents that link you to Cerberus contacts! Enough to have you tried for treason! Besides, Palin was an old friend of mine. I'm more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt than you, Udina!" There was a suspenseful silence as Velarn inched his weapon closer to the human's brow before Udina spoke.

"Have you ever heard the human saying _'Ignorance is bliss,' _councilor? You'd do well to remember it..." The turian caught the ambassador's eyes quickly glancing to his right before he felt a fist connect with the side of his head; a blow so powerful, it sent him tumbling backward to have him lying awkwardly on his side against the far wall of the room.

Velarn felt the warm fluid of his own blood running down his cheek as he lifted himself to sit against the wall while trying to shake off the blurriness in his vision. He brought his three-digit hand to the wound on his head and felt his vision return to normal upon the sight of the blue liquid trickling down his fingers. He groaned in pain as he looked up to see the human ambassador approach him with figure shrouded in a cloaking field by his side.

"What's wrong, councilor? I thought turian's preferred to stand? Only now do you see that any being will sit when struck hard enough." Velarn glared at the human and barred his teeth angrily, his mandibles twitching with rage.

"So what now, _Udina_? Are you going to kill me, or maybe keep me alive for use a hostage?" Udina knelt down on one knee in front of the wounded and dazed turian.

"I think we both know you'd rather die than be used as an instrument of leverage. After all, you are turian. Besides, there are other ways to 'tune' an instrument…"

...


End file.
